Stacey's Semi-Solo Caribbean Conquest!!!

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Day 3- Saturday April 30

 

 

Cruise day was here at last!!!!!!

 

 

 

Once again, up early, so I went onto the balcony to see if I could spy the Conquest. No such luck, but I did see the Oasis of the Seas.

 

 

 

 

I was hungry, but not going to shell out prices for the restaurant again. A quick search showed me that there was a Starbucks about a block further down the street from Walgreens, so I got ready and planned to go there.

 

 

 

 

Just as I was getting ready to leave my room ( I won't even tell you how early it was) I looked out the balcony, and saw the Conquest steaming into port!

 

 

 

 

 

That made for three pre cruise hotels where I have seen the ship from the room now.

 

 

 

Since it was soo early, it was still somewhat cool for my walk to Starbucks and Walgreens(more sunscreen needed!!) I made it back and consumed my breakfast on the balcony, watching the Conquest get settled in her spot.

 

 

 

 

 

I finished getting ready, and packed, and knew that it was still too early for even me to head to the port, so I ventured back to the pool area and chilled in a hammock for awhile.

 

 

 

 

 

Now I knew that the hotel had a cruise shuttle for $6pp, which wasn't bad, but I was hesitant due to the fact that the Oasis was in port, as well as two other ships besides the Conquest. I had heard a rumor about Uber being free for your first ride, which I had never taken. I made some inquiries and found this to be accurate, so I decided to use it for a private ride to the port around 10.

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I had run into another couple from the Big Blue page in the hotel, and extended the offer to join me on the Uber ride. They accepted, and I attempted to place the request on the app.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, there are spots in the Hilton lobby where cell service goes to die, so I migrated outside to complete the deal. I was told that it was a 4 minute wait. 10 minutes into that wait, we were in the lobby with literally 100 other cruisers and luggage. There were crowds vying for taxis and a weak voice calling out for this shuttle and that shuttle, and people stampeding towards the door. I was so grateful at that point that I had elected to take Uber.

 

 

 

 

Finally, our driver arrived in a smaller sedan, though I had indicated that three of us were going to the port. He seemed a bit stunned when he saw all of our luggage, but the couple ended up putting some of their luggage in the back with them, so it worked out. Then we were off to the port!

 

 

 

Almost.

 

 

 

 

Honestly my first clue(even before the smaller car) that this wasn't the best idea was when the driver called me a few minutes prior to arriving, saying that he was lost. I had used GPS to indicate the location, as well as the hotel name, so I wasn't sure how he got turned around, but oh well.

 

 

 

 

As we were on the causeway into the port, we had to stop at a checkpoint and show the guards our passports, which we did. Then they asked to see our driver's license. As in, the license of the Uber driver driving us to the port.

 

 

 

There was a lot of fumbling, and sweating, and his eyes grew pretty wide. He dug through his pockets, searched the console, but it was a no go.

 

 

 

 

The guards were getting impatient, since there were a line of cars behind us to get to the FOUR SHIPS IN PORT. The driver looked up helplessly.

 

 

 

 

"I think I left it in my jeans pocket from last night," he said.

 

 

 

The guard immediately had him pull over and informed us to "wait for the police."

 

 

 

To say that I was stressed would be a HUGE understatement. I quickly tried to estimate how far of a walk it would be to the ship with my luggage. I was hesitant to look at my fellow passengers, since I was the one who offered this bright idea.

 

 

 

The driver kept apologizing to us, and we gave our token okays (well, mine was) as the officer came over and had a discussion with the driver.

 

 

 

Thankfully,after a stern lecture to not return to the port without his license in the future, he let us go.

 

 

 

The driver was so grateful he sped down the road and had us at the Conquest's side about 2 minutes later. He pulled right up to the porters collecting luggage, let us out, and received ANOTHER lecture from some other security personnel about how he had stopped at the wrong spot.

 

 

 

 

Poor guy was totally flustered, but we dropped our bags and headed inside. it was about 11:00ish at this point, I believe, but there was next to no line to get to the initial check in. I walked up, showed my boarding pass, followed the other two around a corner, and found the main check in desk completely empty.

 

 

 

I went up to the desk and my check in agent was completely by the book, no nonsense, and checked me in in less than 5 minutes. She pointed for me to go up some escalator, so I initially thought that we were boarding already.

 

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No such luck-a guard by the escalator quickly corrected me, looked at my Group 6 boarding number, and promptly directed me to a crowded section to the right. Apparently, the ship hadn't even finished disembarking from the prior cruise yet.

 

 

 

Well, since there was no Vibe/Posh pass to race for on Carnival, it didn't matter TOO much, but I began to wonder if it was going to be a lengthy wait. There weren't any available chairs, so I hovered around the snack machines and hung out for the duration.

 

 

 

About 45 minutes later, they announced that initial boarding would begin-weddings, Platinum,Diamond, followed by Faster to the Fun. Immediately people began to creep into the line that you could tell were WAY behind in the group numbers. The guards caught on pretty quick though.

 

 

 

My group number came about 15 minutes after the initial boarding, so it was about an hour wait total from check in, which, all things considered, wasn't horrible for a mid morning arrival.

 

 

 

As I swiped my S&S card for the first time that week, I was stoked to see the ship. As usual, we entered on Deck 3-Lobby, and I found the lobby area to be quite elegant looking. I've mostly been on Fantasy class ships, with the glitzy neon decor, or other random classes with sedate looking lobbies. The Dream had been all decked out for Christmas, but she appeared to be neon underneath. The Conquest was mostly dark wood decor with Impressionist artwork surrounding it.

 

 

 

By the way, I know that the decor is subjective, but I am a HUGE Impressionist fan, so I was in love with the ship's Monet and Manet and Renoir-esque paintings and colors.

 

 

 

 

 

In the excitement of the morning and boarding the ship, there was only one thing to do. So I promptly sat at the Lobby Bar and put Cheers to work.

 

 

 

 

On Carnival, I always go for the Funship Special as my first drink. I like my fruity drinks, and it usually seems to set the theme of a tropical getaway for me. This time, the drink seemed to be just a little too sweet, so it may not be my go to embarkation drink for much longer.

 

 

 

That being said, I did still finish it.

 

 

 

I checked in with my travel companions,who were supposedly just arriving at the terminal. Knowing that they were going to be awhile, I opted to check out my cabin and head upstairs for food.

 

 

 

 

As I made my way down to the Riviera deck, I tried to re-convince myself that:

 

1. The Riviera Deck wasn't that far away from everything

 

and

 

2. I could survive an interior cabin again (especially solo).

 

 

 

I found my cabin, #1353, easily, and found my steward for the week, Putu, vacuuming. He looked a little frantic that I had arrived early, but I quickly convinced him I wanted nothing more than to unload some of the heavier items form my bag and would be out of his way. He looked relieved as I kept my word.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The room did appear a bit smaller than what I remembered interiors to be (thats a guarantee for you) but bigger than the studio cabins on NCL.

 

 

 

After that brief encounter, I headed upstairs to try the infamous Blue Iguana Cantina.

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More room pics.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AND........

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[sunbird21]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok that one is irrelevant I know... Somehow it hid in with the others.

 

 

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[sunbird21]

Luckily, my cabin was right around the corner from the midship elevators, and I managed to get a nonstop ride to Lido. The deck was filling up fast, so I made my way to the Blue Iguana, noting it right next to-wait for it- the Blue Iguana Tequila Bar.

 

 

 

 

 

The wait wasn't long, and I collected my burrito and headed to the BI bar for drink #2.

 

 

 

It was a few minutes later that I had Mishap #1 of the cruise. I reached for my phone to check in with Big Blue…and found it MISSING.

 

 

 

 

I frantically looked around the bar, not finding it, when a woman sitting across from me asked if I was missing an iPhone. After agreeing, she told me that one had been left at the BI Cantina.

 

 

 

I raced over just in time to find a staff member holding it,getting ready to walk away. She held it for a minute until I verified the contents of the pocket(which would ONLY be my license, S&S and VISA card) and returned it promptly. I was so relieved, yet also berating my self for almost losing it on Day #1.

 

 

Obviously, the Funship Special had a little more Special in it than I had thought.

 

 

 

 

With that, I finished my meal and second drink(which I had ordered prior to realizing my phone was gone). The server made another round and was goading me into finishing drink #2, so drink #3 was quick to arrive after that.

 

 

 

I headed over to the loungers, found one on an empty tier and settled in for awhile. It was here that I realized that I had a full on view of the Oasis of the Seas.

 

 

 

Somehow, this brought up all of my Royal antipathy covered small case of envy for the Oasis ships. Now, I'm not one to bash lines, and I certainly can't for Royal, as I have never been ON one of their ships.

 

 

 

However, I've met several members of their fan club, which has left one impression on me. Combine that with the fact that I would LIKE to try an Oasis ship, primarily for the activities and rave reviews they get, but have been unable to for the price factor ( Their solo rates are astronomical, and though I am CAPABLE of biting the bullet and paying, it's hard to justify when I could get a better cabin on another ship, or go on a better itinerary on another ship, or both), and you get me sitting in my lounger glowering at the ship strutting its stuff in the port.

 

 

 

 

Yes, I know it's an inanimate object, but trust me, if ships WERE human, the Oasis would totally be the pretty teen girl flipping her hair in the cafeteria, staring smugly at all of the other kids.

 

 

 

/rant.

 

 

 

Thankfully, L called me during this episode, who calmly told me to walk AWAY from the deck and return to my chair,reassuring me that my cruise was going to be even more fun.

 

 

 

We chatted and Facetimed for a bit, and then I realized it was after 3pm,with no sign or word from my traveling companions.

 

 

 

 

I started to panic a bit, and L continued to reassure my alcohol infused brain that they would either show up or I would be fine sailing solo.

 

 

 

We ended the call so that I could attempt to locate them. I knew that they had been in the terminal at 12, so my hope was that the lines were insane and that they would still be boarding.

 

 

 

 

I tried to call,text,etc….nothing.

 

 

 

I went downstairs to my cabin, and walked by each of theirs…nothing. I took the opportunity to inspect mine a little closer.

 

 

 

A few minutes later, there was a knock at my door-it was V!!! They had boarded within the last 20 minutes, and had been at Guest Services, where they were attempting to switch V's key to her real room.

 

 

 

 

After finding C and her family in their cabin, around the corner from mine, we all happily greeted each other and I met V's boyfriend, M, who seemed to be very friendly and outgoing. He fit in quickly, and we all decided to head upstairs to get the others their initial beverages.

 

 

 

 

We had just enough time for V and M to get a drink before muster announcements were made. Since V was still in my room on paper, we were at a different station than everyone else. We separated and planned to meet on deck 3 afterwards.

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Our muster station was…I can't recall the deck, but it was outside, and it was crowded, and it was hot, all of which I had expected. This time, there was an added feature…a strong,pungent aroma of SEWAGE.

 

 

In 11 cruises, I've had some musters that are pretty cut and dried and quick.

 

 

 

 

This was not one of them.

 

 

 

 

We stood there, gagging from the smell, panting from the heat along with about 300 other unlucky souls at our muster station. Needless to say, tempers rose quickly, but our muster person just ignored everyone and continued to repeat her spiel in a monotone.

 

 

 

Finally,after about 20 minutes of this, and of watching the Oasis smugly sail out of her berth(oh yes, our station had a view of her,too) an announcement was made to dismiss the OTHER side of the ship.

 

 

 

Five minutes later, there was a stampede as we were allowed to thankfully escape into the non excrement scented air conditioning.

 

 

 

We met up with the others on the Lobby deck,where we were attempting to get our dining time changed, and C was reminding them of her special dietary needs. Bad news-we had to stick with 8:15 dining for tonight,at least, and go on a "final" wait list for MTD. According to the maitre d', MTD fills up "months in advance" but we would be notified by 12 tomorrow if we were able to switch.

 

 

 

 

Good news-one of the other hostesses in our dining room (Monet) was a vegan herself, and would be able to consult with C on menu choices each day, which made her pretty happy.

 

 

 

 

Once that was settled(or not) we headed upstairs to the Big Blue/Cruise Critic roll call sail away party. Our roll call had designated to wear leis for sail away, and there was a good size group waiting. It was nice to meet the people that I had been chatting with for the last several weeks, and the organizer was very friendly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thankfully, none of the troublemakers from the aforementioned battle crashed, though the organizer did say that she met the main troll earlier, who was actually quite nice to her. I guess it affirms the belief that people's mouths are louder behind a computer screen LOL.

 

 

 

 

The sail away was pretty smooth, I didn't realize until later that we left late-one of my previous cruise friends had been watching the PE webcam. In any case,the weather was perfect and the seas were smooth. Since we had four cruise virgins in my immediate group( C's fiancé, two kids and V's boyfriend) I hoped that the voyage would be a kinder introduction to cruising than C had received.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We lingered at the party for a bit, then left so that C could register her kids for Camp Ocean. Since this was my first vacation with children, I accompanied her so that I could get as much detail to add to my review for other peeps with kids.

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Unfortunately, it was closed, with a sign instructing us to come back at 6 to sign up. With that, we wandered outside on that deck (deck 12, I believe), where we found a ping pong table, chess set, and some loungers. In front of that area(towards the bow) they had a blocked off area with childrens toys and equipment.

 

 

Needless to say, the boys took off for that area, and V,M, P and I ended up attempting to play ping pong. I'm the first to admit that I have very little hand-eye coordination when it comes to sports, and alcohol did nothing to improve this. Thankfully, the others weren't too much better, though they blamed it on the wind.

 

 

 

 

It was around this time that M decided to induct us into a cruise long drinking game called BUFFALO (which quickly became the albatross around my neck). I'll clue those in the dark in, so you know to NEVER agree to it.

 

 

 

Basically, the rules are simple-first you (unknowingly) agree to join. Then, if you are ever caught with a drink in your dominant hand, and someone says "BUFFALO," you are supposed to chug the remainder of your drink.

 

 

 

Let's just say by the end of the week…well, I'll leave those details for each day.

 

 

 

For this moment, I lost once. It didn't improve my game at all.

 

 

 

At some point, it became 6, and C and P took the boys inside to sign up. I went in while they were in the process and explored the inside kids room, which had plenty of toys,games,etc. Little O had found some trains(his toy of choice) and was in his mecca while a staff member explained the rules to his parents (and their annoying review writing observer).

 

 

 

 

So these are the initial notes I have (they may not be accurate, but it was what we were told on THIS night)

 

 

 

Camp Ocean is open for various blocks of time during the day(the times vary according to the day). They are usually closed around lunch and dinner, though they did have an "early" kids dinner that they could join. All free programming stopped around 10, at which time you could pay for the kids to be in there until 1am for a fee. They did have separate age groups, but they were all in one room, so theoretically their 9 yr old could still see/interact with their 2 yr old.

 

 

 

They did give C and P an older Nokia phone, and attach wristbands to both kids, which they weren't thrilled with.

 

 

 

 

After this was completed, they had to tear O away from the trains, which he did graciously. And if you believe that, I've got some extra Havana balconies to feel you on the Vista. (To be fair, you may not have much experience with toddlers).

 

 

 

L was easier to coax out,as he was more interested in the pool/slide anyway, but we all decided that it was time to return to our respective cabins and unpack before dinner.

 

 

Upon my return, Putu had actually pulled my luggage inside the cabin for me(score!! Was this a sign that my poor cabin steward luck was over??).

 

 

 

The beds were split into twins, which didn't bother me, but since the room appeared to be on the small side, I spent more time than I should have rearranging the room to improve the layout.

 

 

 

 

The smaller space theory was confirmed once I attempted to do my usual interior arrangement (beds in a L shape against each wall). Once I realized that that wasn't happening, I ended up with this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

It wasn't perfect, but I had more walking around space than I had before.

 

 

 

I quickly unpacked, thankful for my extra Walgreens stop that morning-those extra 12 hangers came in very handy.

[sunbird21]

At about 8, I headed outside, and rounded up the others. We had a little initial difficulty navigating to Monet, but memory came back to me quickly-much like the Dream(and a lot of other Carnival ships) the easiest way to access the aft dining room is to get to the Promenade deck and go across.

 

 

 

We got there just as they started seating people, and we had a large 8 top to ourselves by the window near the back.

 

 

 

 

Because most of us had CHEERS, we had several large bottled waters on the table instead of the water pitchers that were on others.

 

 

 

This was my first American Table experience, so I'll stick my toe into the discussion.

 

 

 

I actually forgot about the tablecloths until we had been sitting for a few minutes.

 

 

 

 

The tables were clean, the bottled water looked presentable, and the glasses all had paper coasters underneath. The utensils were also on a napkin. I personally did not find it dirty, or trashy looking.

 

 

 

 

Our head waiter, Rafael, and assistant waiter, Daniela, came by and gave us menus. They were both very friendly, and Rafael informed C that the vegan specialist was going to be by shortly.

 

 

 

By the way, I neglected to mention that O was passed out in his stroller, which his parents were thankful for. The waiters even helped negotiate a space to slip the stroller into the table.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the menu for night 1…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sunbird21]

And my dinner.....

 

 

 

 

 

Mahi-Mahi

 

 

 

 

 

Tiramisu

 

 

 

And the dessert that V and M got.....

 

[sunbird21]

Shortly after we were seated, a tall, skinny Swedish looking woman named Dragana (appearance totally did not fit the name) came by to introduce herself to C.

 

 

They proceeded to have a several minute in depth discussion on what meals could be modified to vegan standards. Then they reviewed the menu for the next night and made selections for that. Then she even gave her recommendations on vegan choices and modifications for various meals at breakfast, the Blue Iguana, etc. Spoiler alert- this would be a nightly event, and Dragana became an early star for us.

 

 

 

 

As Dragana left, C's eyes were sparkling, and she was the first to proclaim that she was perfectly content to remain with the 8:15 dining time.

 

 

 

 

And this was the theme throughout the dinner- the service from Rafael and Daniela was incredible. they took time to chat and joke with us, paid extra attention to L, and all three courses came out very quickly.

 

 

 

Whereas I am used to a main dining room dinner taking 60-90 minutes, we were done in just under an hour. With O happily sleeping through the meal, we all decided that this seating would work just fine for us all.

 

 

 

After dinner ,we walked around outside a bit. I know we talked about going to the murder mystery show, but for some reason it never happened. I kind of regret it now, because apparently this ONE show sets up a theme of activities for the week,including clues in each Funtimes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ended up on one of the upper aft decks, where we found the jogging track and cornhole.

 

 

 

 

We returned to our cabins, as we all still had some unpacking to do. I was greeted with this unfamiliar but welcome sight:

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, Putu, where were you on the Dream? The Breakaway? (yes, I know that was an NCL)

 

 

 

I was starting to fade as I finished settling in, but I got a call from V, who asked if I wanted to go to the late comedy show. I agreed, as I was trying to stay up late on this cruise.

 

 

 

C and her family were pretty much out for the night, so V,M and I headed to the Degas lounge to see the 11pm show.

 

 

 

Much like on the Dream, the comedy show was packed-we found a seat near the back. Al Romero was the comedian, and he was pretty damn funny.

 

 

 

I do think that I consumed another beverage, but that was it for me that night.

 

 

I was proud of myself for making it until midnight as we exited the show. M and V asked if I wanted to get another drink with them, but I declined in favor of my bed. So we parted ways and I happily collapsed in my comfy bed, ready for a sea day.

[sunbird21]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[sunbird21]

DAY 4- Sunday May 1

 

 

 

As former readers know, and new ones are catching on…I was up early. Even in a dark, windowless room.

 

 

 

Knowing that it was a sea day, and that there was NO SERENITY DECK, I decided to get ready and check out the chair hog situation. I wasn't overly hungry, so I decided to try the infamous arepas and the Blue Iguana.

 

 

 

 

I got upstairs at about 7:45, and the deck was pretty empty, only about 10-20 people walking around. I got my arepas and had my choice of loungers on the Lido deck. I was aware of the hypothetical adult only area in the aft, but for today I decided to stay in a visible area for the others to find me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I settled on one of the lower tiers next to the RedFrog, and headed over their to get some Coke. I'm a caffeine addict, and I tend to drink a lot more pop than is healthy(no lectures please). I don't really do coffee other than Starbucks, so Coke is my beverage of choice. Because another reviewer was brave enough to admit her antipathy for water, I will do the same. I CANNOT stand water. The bottled water in my room? Still sitting there. The multi bottles on the table at dinner? Never touched by me. Is this something I would recommend to a patient? Of course not, but this is me-take it or leave it. I'm sure I could be 20 lbs lighter if I drank only water, but I can't stand the taste and I'll sacrifice in other areas to maintain my weight.

 

 

/rant, except to say I felt vindicated when the other reviewer voiced the same preferences.

 

 

 

 

Anyway,back to my original thought. So I sauntered over to RedFrog to collect a Coke, only to be told that "they don't open until 8." I explained again that I only wanted a pop-they could even give me the flipping can. He refused.

 

 

 

 

 

Sigh. I'm sure a neurotic person would sit on her lounger, eat slowly as to not invite any further thirst, and stare obsessively at the clock on her phone until it was 8.

 

 

 

 

I'm not saying that I did this, just that at 8:01 I had a nice,ice filled glass of Coke sitting by my lounger.

 

 

 

 

In any case, the arepas were okay…good for a light breakfast snack. It fit the bill for my current level on hunger. I never did get them again, so I must not have been too crazy about them.

 

 

 

 

I remained here for the next few hours, and sure enough, everyone found me in different stretches. C came by with O before heading to the buffet, V and M stopped by before going to the gym. At one point, I ended up watching the boys for a bit while C and P went somewhere, so I migrated down to the pool with O in his puddle jumper while L conquered the slide. The Conquest has one of the older, aqua twist waterslides, which I didn't think too much of, but L was a fast fan, and basically did a loop on/off the slide.

 

 

 

 

O wasn't impressed with the pool at all. After some coaxing, we sat on the side, where there is a bench around about 2 inches of water. He eventually became okay with standing in it.

 

[sunbird21]

V and M came by with beverages from RedFrog. We decided that we wanted to try the whole menu over the course of the week. These were our first three....

 

 

 

 

 

 

C returned and I joined them at RedFrog. Soon we were discussing the Master Mixologist competition, as they were announcing for people to sign up shortly. I was trying to encourage M to sign up, as he definitely had the personality for it. We were discussing different drinks to make, and he suggested something called a "Purple Hippopotamus."

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had to jump in on this and suggest calling it "Purple Rain", figuring it was get the crowd going, since it was shortly after Prince's death. This immediately started everyone on trying to convince ME to enter.

 

 

 

 

Just then, they made the announcement to sign up, so somehow M and I walked over to enter. M's plan was to just "throw every source of alcohol in."

 

 

 

They gave us a sheet, in which it was narrowed down to creating either a rum drink or a tequila drink-hence the new name of the competition, "Red Rum vs Blue Tequila Challenge." You had to first pick one of those two, then you had a choice of up to three other mixers.

 

 

 

 

I decided to attempt the Purple Rain thing, so I picked rum,(I hate tequila) and tried to pick liquids that would make purple, of course. Blue Curacao was a given, and I chose cranberry juice for my "red." As I handed it in, the host (Baby Jane) told me to add another liquor to it, so I chose raspberry liquor, hoping it would keep the purple appearance.

 

 

 

M chose tequila and literally circled about 5 different liquors. He was told to narrow it down, and I think his had orange and cranberry juice, Blue Curacao, and pina colada mix.

 

 

 

Once that was done, we were starving, so we headed to Guys Burger. I am not a huge burger person, but I wanted to try it since it was right there, and has had rave reviews all over here. I ended up getting a plain cheeseburger, and headed to the condiments stand, where I added ketchup,mustard mushrooms, and these thin potato chip crisps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took a bite…and it was DIVINE. Guys Burger had a new fan!!!

 

 

 

 

The four of us sat there eating(well, five with O, L was still on the slide and P was nowhere to be found) and got a fresh round of drinks, ready to watch the competition. I had seen a lot of preppy girls sign up,so I had no expectation about being chosen, but was pulling for M.

[mickev99]

Loving the review! Thanks so much. I have been patiently (well maybe not) waiting for it. Congrats on your new apartment (my 13 year old thinks that she is going to move to NY after school and live in a penthouse. She doesn't believe me when I tell her that is not the case and try to explain how small and expensive NYC apartments are). Congrats on the new job. So sorry to hear about your cat. I had to put my cat to sleep because of an illness and there is still a song that I can't listen to because it was the first song I heard in the car on the way to work the next morning. My kids recently found a photo of her (she passed before they were born), and I got choked up telling them about her even this many years later.

[Greggy_D]

I'm loving your review and pics! I see Carnival is continuing their cost cutting measures by offering calorie-free (invisible) toppings at Guy's. ;)

 

Your review is definitely getting me geared for my cruise in 19 days.

[sunbird21]

Just as they started announcing the names, M Buffaloed me. I was chugging my drink to the best of my ability when I heard my name being called.

 

 

 

***?!?!?!

 

 

 

Oh ****.

 

 

 

 

With my wonderful friends shoving me forward, I made my way to the "stage" which was the front of the pool.

 

 

 

I was thanking God that I was buzzed at this time, because stage fright is real.

 

 

 

To distract myself, I started chatting with the first girl that was called, who was also apprehensive about being up there. She was pretty cool, and it was easy to concentrate on talking rather than the few hundred people staring at us.

 

 

 

The next person called, R, was actually a member of the Big Blue roll call. He and his wife were there, so I greeted them both. When I asked what was in his drink, he shrugged.

 

 

 

"I have no idea, M(his wife) entered me."

 

 

 

Oh, this was going to be interesting.

 

 

 

Thankfully, Big Sexy, the cruise director, came by to have us do our intros, and he had us read the names of our drinks from our entry slips, so R was able to see what his wife had concocted for him.

 

 

 

When in was my turn, I read my name, and sure enough, got some reaction from the crowd. Hopefully that helped.

 

 

 

 

The first girl went, and she had a tequila drink. There was a bartender at the table who "helped" (i.e., told you how much) pour the ingredients into the shaker. Then she had to dance in front of the table a bit.

 

 

 

Oh, Lordy, help me please.

 

 

 

 

Then the judges sampled her drink, critiquing it for not having "enough" liquor. They gave her the rest of the drink.

 

 

 

 

****, now it was my turn. I read the ingredients into the microphone(which is very distorting to hear) and proceeded to concentrate on mixing the drink. I poured some Bacardi in, and the bartender shook her head and told me to keep going. Second attempt to stop, she still shook her head. The shaker was about a third full of Bacardi. This was going to be interesting.

 

 

 

 

I added the other three,and prayed for it to at least turn out purple.

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to dance, oh sweet Jesus. I walked out, shook the shaker a few times, twirled around, and scampered back to the table until Big Sexy held up his hand.

 

 

 

 

"Oh no, we need more than that," he drawled.

 

 

 

 

OK then. This was probably the only time I was happy to have had the BUFFALO. I danced around for what seemed like 30 seconds or so and headed back.

 

 

 

 

Big Sexy held up his hands again, and pointed.

 

 

 

 

Really??? I'm not a dancer, and I'm sure people had seen more than enough of my rolls shaking. But I repeated it, and mercifully he let me return to pout the drink.

 

 

 

And she was purple!!!!!

 

 

 

 

R and P(the first girl) gave me high fives and were commiserating about the dancing, so I didn't hear the drink reviews right away, but I did catch baby Jane saying it was "absolutely fantastic"

 

 

 

Yay!!

 

 

 

Then it was R's turn. I can't recall what was in his drink(think it was also rum) but he definitely amped up the dancing and had the crowd going, so I figured he was a shoo in.

 

 

 

 

I don't remember much about the fourth contestant, other than it was a guy with a tequila drink, and it was blue, and the judges REALLY seemed to like it, so I figured it was a tie between the two guys as the scores were tallied.

 

 

 

 

They had us line up, and I just remember hoping that I wasn't last as they announced P came in fourth.

 

 

 

Blue tequila guy was third, so now it was down to me and R. We side hugged it out, as M cheered for us in the front row, and I saw my crowd behind her,taking pictures.

 

 

 

 

And then!!!! R was announced as the runner up, which meant…

 

 

 

 

I HAD WON THE COMPETITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

It was everything I had dreamed it to be. They handed me the Oscar, the crowd cheered, Oprah gave me a car…

 

 

 

Whoops, wrong fantasy.

 

 

 

But there was cheering, and Big Sexy gave me a hug and asked what I planned to do next. I think my brilliant response was to "keep drinking."

 

 

 

One of my Big Blue friends from this cruise supposedly has video of this event. If she finds this review and reads it, I'll allow her to post it, if she still has it.

 

 

 

For my win, I got the drink and four free drink coupons, which, with CHEERS, was kind of useless. I gave them to C, who didn't have CHEERS.

 

 

 

 

I was feeling pretty pumped, (and drunk) so I offered to buy P a drink at the bar,since she didn't have CHEERS. My other friends decided to head inside to go to the art auction (C loves those), so we decided to meet up later at the Dr Seuss parade.

[sunbird21]

A couple pics of the competition that I'll allow.....

 

 

Credit: M. Drinkwater

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bluerose1515]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you happen to recall what the price was total for the 2 for 1 margaritas? Those look so good. Thinking about stopping there for our Conquest cruise in November. It's not too far from where we will be staying :) Looking forward to the rest of your review.

[sunbird21]

I sat with P and met her husband at the tequila bar, and we chatted for awhile. I noticed a lot of people ordering the Purple Rain(it was a dollar off for the next few hours).

 

 

 

During our conversation, one woman approached me and told me that the drink was good, but she didn't like the chosen garnish(an orange).

 

 

 

I didn't really have an answer for that.

 

 

 

 

After a bit, I was definitely over sunned and over alcoholed, so I bid adieu to my new pals and headed inside. I wandered inside the shops for bait before heading to the Degas theater to await the Dr Seuss parade.

 

 

 

A group of parents and children filtered in, and they started with the parade, but C and company were nowhere to be found.

 

 

 

After a few minutes, I gave up and knew I needed a bit of food, so I headed to the afternoon tea for a snack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dining room was pretty empty, and it was a nice,peaceful break.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the snack, it was time for a well deserved nap.

 

 

 

When I woke up, I called over to V's cabin, and they were getting ready for elegant evening, so I decided to do the same.

 

 

 

I noticed that C had left a message on my whiteboard, which we all had to leave messages to each other. yes, we could have purchased the social media plan, which I sort of did(more detail later) but the others didn't, so we went old school with the whiteboards.

 

 

 

V,M and I planned to meet at the Alchemy Bar on deck 5( V wanted me to go for the "singles" meet up, but there really weren't any there).

 

 

[sunbird21]

As I was sitting there, I noticed to girls who were ordering what looked like a really cool drink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I asked them what they were ordering, and one girl gave me a side eye and said, "Its not on the menu."

 

 

 

OK….

 

 

 

So I waited a few minutes until a server came by, and I asked her about the drink.

 

 

 

"Oh,it's a custom drink," she said.

 

 

 

"So…Can I try that?" I inquired.

 

 

 

"No, it's a custom drink." she stated again.

 

 

 

We had a staredown for a minute, with me not comprehending why she had lost the ability in the last 3 minutes to make a third "custom" drink.

 

 

 

Finally, I gave up and ordered a Remedy from the menu.

 

 

 

 

 

Just as it arrived, V and M showed up and received their own non customized drinks. Despite the questionable service from that bartender, M assured me that the other two, Cat and Juliana, were superb.

 

 

 

 

P,C and boys showed up shortly thereafter, so we took off to get some formal pictures before dinner.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sunbird21]

Sidenote-in case anyone is still interested in the dining drama, we were turned down for the My Time Dining. Since we had decided the night before that we were happy with our table, it ended well.

 

 

 

O had been fed at the buffet before pictures, so he was napping happily as we head into the dining room. I'm sure everyone thought he was the quietest kid at that point....

 

 

Our people greeted us cheerfully, and the tables had the tablecloths on for formal night. It was actually a nice contrast from the casual nights.

 

 

 

 

More bottled water on the table-which my friends happily drank and took the remainders to their rooms.

[sunbird21]

Night 2 Menu- American Feast

 

 

 

 

 

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[sunbird21]

 

 

Service was excellent as it had been the previous night. Dragana came by between courses to consult with C on her meals for the next night, and gave suggestions on vegan options on Grand Turk the next day.

 

 

 

My meal:

 

 

I also had the lobster but it didn't make it to the picture...

 

Dessert did though:

 

 

C had chosen this night to celebrate P's and O's birthdays, which had been the week prior.

 

P was surprised....

 

 

 

O slept through his, so L happily accepted the cake on his behalf: