Getaway 12/4 - 12/11 Speed Picture Review

[CoffeeGoddess]

Thank you for the review and pictures! We'll be on Getaway (first cruise too) on Jan 22nd, so excited.

 

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Well it was OpFor's first cruise and she had a blast so hopefully you will too.

[CoffeeGoddess]

 

 

While we were eating we saw a little black kitty at the table next to us and, being the cat ladies that we are, had to call her over. The waiter said her name was Lola and she got quite a bit of my beef and as much as she would eat of the shrimp. Yes, we're suckers for kitties.

 

 

 

After lunch I took my faux-pro into the water while Opfor went looking to see if the massages were cheap and to look at the close shops. The water was a perfect temperature and there were quite a lot of fish right near shore in this little outcropping of rocks.

 

 

Here's a shaky video of the rocks. I didn't have a snorkel or fins just my goggles so it's not the best but gives you an idea of what is there.

 

[Taishartrueblood]

Still enjoying the trip with you! One suggestion (I will highlight in red so you see it, not to be a jerk :p ) If you want people to look at your photo album, you may want to add a link somewhere. The pictures are not letting us click on them to get to your album :)

[CoffeeGoddess]

After I got back and Opfor came back from shopping I closed out our bill and had to pay at the front desk since I did it by credit card. We stopped at the restroom and then headed down the Maelcon to see what we could see. Right next door to Blue Kay is what used to be a Senor Frogs with a swimming pool which was closed in the reviews that I saw. Well it's open again but under a different name which I didn't quite catch. They had the pool open and their beach area had padded loungers (Blue Kay has wooden ones). What did it cost? I don't know because I didn't ask.

 

 

 

There's a bit of a gap between this place and the rest of beach clubs but it really didn't take much walking to get to them. So if you want to hop around and check out other places they're all really close together. Opfor found a little stand where they were selling wrestler masks for cheap and picked up one for her friend. We also stopped in a few stores but only picked up some silver bracelets in one of them.

 

 

Past that we stopped at Tropicante for water and shots. The waiter then showed us where to go for a taxi back to port. It was quick and $2 a person (same as before) to get back and we browsed the shops a bit as we wandered back into the maze.

 

 

When we got to the end of the pier OpFor was beat and wanted to take the tram so we waited for it to come around and hopped on what we thought was the front but the guy unhitched the cart and took it around to the other side so we were on the back.

 

 

Here's the video I took of our trip back to the dock in case you want to see just how long it is. I've tried embedding it so you can watch from this post but I'm obviously doing something wrong so it's only a link.

 

[CoffeeGoddess]

Still enjoying the trip with you! One suggestion (I will highlight in red so you see it, not to be a jerk :p ) If you want people to look at your photo album, you may want to add a link somewhere. The pictures are not letting us click on them to get to your album :)

 

Ah, it must be letting me go there since it's my album. I'll post one at the end of the review then, thanks!

 

ETA: I just tried and the later ones are not linking. I realized I've been removing the url from those but the ones in the first post do link back. I'll still post a link at the end.

Edited January 1, 2017 by CoffeeGoddess

[Gimmiethebeach]

 

After lunch I took my faux-pro into the water while Opfor went looking to see if the massages were cheap and to look at the close shops. The water was a perfect temperature and there were quite a lot of fish right near shore in this little outcropping of rocks.

 

 

What camera did you use for the video?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[CoffeeGoddess]

Tonight we dine at Moderno. This is another one that I would not have picked had I been by myself but I did thoroughly enjoy it. Once again we stopped off for a pre-dinner drink, this time at Sunset Bar. For those of you who want to avoid the pre-mixed drinks, Grass Clippings is usually in a jug here. I started with an Eastern Legacy and Opfor got the Legend Reviver which was in a special inset in the menu.

 

 

 

Then we headed to Moderno for our meat fest.

 

 

 

[CoffeeGoddess]

What camera did you use for the video?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I'm calling it the faux-pro because it's a cheap Chinese knock off I got on Amazon. The price fluctuates a lot but I got it for under $50, sometimes it goes to $40.

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FD8HPJ2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[CoffeeGoddess]

We started out with the salad bar that has quite a bit available on it including veggies, meats, cheeses, and soup. I took quite a few pictures but not a lot on my plate since I wanted to leave room for the meats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CoffeeGoddess]

Opfor found a lot more she wanted to try than I did but most of it got pushed to the side once the meat started coming.

 

 

The meats came around quickly when we put out our cards and while I didn't try everything, what I did try was good. Some of it was definitely borderline too salty so if you are sensitive to salt it probably would not be a great place for you. The sides were also good and the best thing that came around on the spit was the roasted pineapple. Mmmmmmm.

 

 

 

I ordered a strawberry caipirinha and Opfor got the Acai and both of them were good but we did need to ask our waitress for them again since they didn't come out for a while.

 

 

Oh, the little cheesy bread poofs were just delicious and I had trouble keeping my hands out of them.

 

Edited January 1, 2017 by CoffeeGoddess

[CoffeeGoddess]

We made sure to save some room for dessert and then we couldn't decide so both of us got two items. I did the cake and the banana torte while she did the rice pudding and the papaya cream. I would like to say they were all awesome but they were actually only ok. The papaya cream was actually icy like it had been frozen and hadn't quite defrosted yet.

 

 

 

 

 

On the way out we stopped at the Prime Meridian bar because I wanted another one of those strawberry caipirinhas which turned out to be one of the pre-mixed in a jug drinks. While we were sitting there the bartender asked if we wanted any of his nuts and Opfor, being a punster, had to take off with it. Good times.

 

Once again I headed to the spa while she went out to see about dancing. Our towel animal was an elephant.

 

[Gimmiethebeach]

I'm calling it the faux-pro because it's a cheap Chinese knock off I got on Amazon. The price fluctuates a lot but I got it for under $50, sometimes it goes to $40.

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FD8HPJ2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

Great thanks! I figured it was a knockoff but there are so many to chose from!

 

Loving the review [emoji4]

 

 

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[BlueJai]

I am loving your review and am happy that you are feeling better! Happy New Year! I am going to have to check out all the drink menus for choices, they look great! Thanks for taking the time to post.

Jai

[CoffeeGoddess]

I am loving your review and am happy that you are feeling better! Happy New Year! I am going to have to check out all the drink menus for choices, they look great! Thanks for taking the time to post.

Jai

 

Thanks, and a happy new year to you!

[CoffeeGoddess]

Cozumel - 12/9

 

We both slept in and then headed up to the buffet for breakfast. While there I pointed out the orange building on the shore to let Opfor know that we were heading there for the morning. The building is the Barracuda Hotel and we were heading to the No Name Bar that's right in the courtyard.

 

 

 

When we got down to the pier they had a bunch of pedicabs already there so Opfor paid the tip for this one and we took it to the entry. We then had to go through the mall to get to the stairs to go down because the close escalators were only going up. They're sneaky that way because when we came back to those escalators later they were both only going down so you had to into the mall area to get to ones going up and the stairs.

 

Either way it was a short walk to the hotel and the seating was wide open so we picked a little table off to the side and ordered some drinks. I got a mojito and she tried the barracuda bites and we got a 2 for one shot on the side.

 

 

 

 

Now all the posts and reviews I have seen for Cozumel talk about beach clubs that all require a taxi to get to. I really didn't want to do that and wanted to stay in town but still wanted to swim as well. So checking out Google maps I saw a couple of places that were right by the port and looked to have access to the water right there. One of them was the No Name Bar and after checking Trip Advisor I decided that would be our place. It was a good decision.

 

Prices weren't bad, they had free wifi, and they had both water access and a pool. It's also a crew hang out so I figured it had to be good. It was nicely laid out, lots of sun and shade for people, and service wasn't too bad.

 

[PlayCousin]

I was on this cruise. Recall seeing you guys around. Thanks for the review.

[CoffeeGoddess]

 

 

After the drinks I headed to the water to go for a swim. While the stairs were a little slippery down at the bottom it was still easy to get in and out of the ocean. The water was clear and there were quite a few little fishes swimming around the wall and the dock area. They also had a glass bottom boat that would come in to do snorkel tours but I just stayed by shore.

 

 

 

Next door they had snuba as well.

 

 

It got busier as the day wore on but never too full. I did want to go to a couple of other places so we packed it in and headed out. We did think about stopping back at the ship to drop off our now wet towels and bags but we both agreed that if we did that it would most likely be nap time.

 

So we headed on down into the city so that I could find Coz Coffee Roasters. I love a good cup of coffee (imagine that) and they had great reviews. I got a cup of french press and bought some beans while Opfor did some souvenir shopping.

 

[CoffeeGoddess]

I was on this cruise. Recall seeing you guys around. Thanks for the review.

 

Hopefully we weren't too obnoxious. :D

[CoffeeGoddess]

A few steps away we headed to Wet Wendy's for a margarita the size of your head. They make different flavors and you can pick what you want so I went for a ginger and basil one. It was really good and I also got an order of the shrimp and bacon tacos. We shared both the drink and the food then headed back to the dock because Opfor wanted to see the pier party.

 

 

 

The port shopping area had some cutouts out for the holidays and, well, you have to get at least one picture.

 

 

With it being close to boarding time there was a line for the pedicabs back but it didn't take long and we were whisked back to the line to dance out way back onto the ship. Back on board it was time to drop our stuff off in the room and head up to the Chill Bar to get some drinks and see if there were any pier runners.

 

 

We couldn't really see the pier so we headed on down to the waterfront and by the time we got down the stairs we had already pulled away from the dock.

 

 

I'm pretty sure we did the buffet for dinner and then Opfor joined me in the spa. She only went twice over the week but at least she enjoyed both times.

 

This time we had a penguin again and that ended our last port day.

 

[CoffeeGoddess]

Last sea day - 12/10

 

I saw in the dailies the night before that they were going to have a technical talk in the morning and figured Opfor would want to go to that. I was right.

 

I skipped breakfast because my digestive issues were getting the best of me and we waited in the Atrium for trivia to be over so we could grab some seats. The talk was pretty neat with a few videos of the ship being built and the captain and head engineer responding to any questions.

 

 

 

I was pretty bummed that day because I had decided this would be the ropes course day for me. The day had other plans because it was wet and windy and the course never opened. It was also rough seas and they drained the main pool and the spa pool as I found out from another review.

 

 

I was also starting to feel the cold I had been keeping at bay come on so I spent most of the day wandering and drinking.

 

 

[CoffeeGoddess]

We met up for dinner and decided to go to Shanghai's for the last night. We got there about 5:15 and there was already a line. It was ok though, because I had brought something to pass the time.

 

 

 

 

I still wasn't feeling up to too much solid food so I got the chicken with glass noodles which really hit the spot. We also had the best waiter from when we were first there and I made sure to get his name so we could fill out hero cards for him.

 

 

 

After dinner Opfor went to go see about getting into some shows and I kicked around waiting for karaoke to start. And picked up another ginger mojito.

 

[CoffeeGoddess]

I wasn't sure if they had a bar or not in Fat Cats so I stopped at the Raw Bar to pick up one of their specialty cocktails, North of Easy. They asked if I was going to drink it there and since I said no they put it in a plastic glass.

 

 

Here's some Wasbi and Ocean Blue pictures I took while I was waiting on my drink.

 

 

 

 

I then headed on over to Fat Cats. Since they didn't have what I was planning on signing I started flipping through the electronic list to find something. Then they had a problem where they lost sound and the list they had going. So I let the previous people go ahead and get back on there and by the time I figured out what I wanted to sing the host was saying they were not taking anymore names since they needed to finish at 9. Another bummer for that day.

 

I decided to go grab my faux-pro, along with another Little Sumpin, and do some videos of the different areas. While doing that I walked by O' Sheehans and the wings called out my name so I stopped for a little late night food. I also made due with a Red Stripe since they didn't have Sumpin.

 

 

The Thai chili wings were great as usual but the nachos were just bad. I then decided to head on down to deck six and take some video and also see if I could find Opfor at Taste. See, almost every night she would go down to Taste after whatever sh had got up to and have a late dinner. They knew her there by the end of the cruise. Sure enough I found her there and we headed to a bar for the last drink of the cruise. Most of them were packing up but we found the Prime Meridian was still open.

Edited January 2, 2017 by CoffeeGoddess

[CoffeeGoddess]

The nutty bartender was at Prime Meridian again and we got our drink on. Opfor got some cordial straight up and I went for a Rebellious Fish since I hadn't had one the whole cruise. So he shakes it up and pours it into the glass and it's about an inch below the top of the glass. He asked me if I wanted it strong and I said sure so he poured in vodka until it was right at the top of the line. I did not finish that.

 

 

 

And Opfor finally got to try his salty nuts.

 

 

By that time we were well snockered so headed on back to room, but got an elevator selfie because why not?

 

 

I also did a video tour of our room but I still need to edit it and it also has me swearing quite a bit so no post here for that. We passed out but had a wake up call set for 6am since Opfor wanted to do the MDR for breakfast one last time and we would be doing self walk off.

[CoffeeGoddess]

Disembarkation and MIA - 12/11

 

We did get up in time and headed on down to Savor with our luggage for our breakfast. We let the server know we were doing the walk off and she was really good about getting us our breakfast quickly. It was about 7:15 or so by the time we got in line and it was already to the casino mid-point where it started at the hall that split the theatre and O'Sheehans gaming area. Once we started moving though it went quickly all the way through customs.

 

 

I tried to do Lyft once we got out but it was telling me that they didn't do pick ups at the port yet so we hopped in a taxi. Opfor's flight was at 9:50 so that's why we moving so fast that morning. Even with a big back up at Departures with the taxi we were still able to get her in line and to her flight in time.

 

 

My flight, however, was not until 5:30pm. Orignially I had planned to get her to the airport, drop off my luggage at a holding area, then take the metro rail into Miami to bum around for a bit. Well, the day was cold and rainy and the cold had finally started to hit me. So I dragged myself over to the Miami International Airport Hotel and asked if they did day rooms. They sure did but they didn't start selling them until 10am. So I sat down and tried not to fall asleep while waiting the 45 minutes. Finally they said they were selling day rooms and I got in line with a few other people to get one. It was $55 for a room from 10am to 2pm and I took full advantage of the nice soft bed.

 

 

 

I got up and checked out then went and got some hot tea since the sinuses had started filling. Thankfully my flight was on time and even though I had to blow my ears out a couple of times it was uneventful. Getting a Lyft home was easy and I was in my bed by 10pm with my happy to see me kitties purring around me.

 

Monday was hell and I went to the Walgreen's clinic to check and it turned out I had both a cold and an ear infection. They gave me cough syrup for the cold and antibiotics for the ear infection. Thankfully I was able to work from home for the rest of the week and finally, after three weeks, I'm feeling much better.

 

That's it! Oh, I forgot we did go see the late showings of Burn the Floor and Million Dollar Quartet and enjoyed both of them. Even without having reservations we were able to get in and get good seats for both.

 

If you want to see my full album on Flickr here's the link: https://flic.kr/s/aHskK5gGu7

[PhoenixCruiser]

 

Found TheDougout's melons. Wait that doesn't sound right . . .

 

Awesome!!! I loved your references to past reviews :)

 

Thanks for taking the time to share your vacation with us, much appreciated.

 

Glad you are feeling better.

 

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