An Amber,A Thomas,A Juan,A Turk,a Dee and a Jim - Carnival Splendor Journal w/ Pics

[Ethel Henderson]

Love all the drink PORN pics!!! LOL

[vanislandcruisers]

August 9th – Day 1– Welcome Aboard the Carnival Splendor (continued)

 

Having enjoyed:

• our traditional Embarkation ‘Fun Ship Specialsin the Atrium’,
  
• our traditional ‘1st drink and smoke at the Casino Bar’ drinks,
  
• the ‘1st drink on the Lido’ drinks which were combined with Lunch,
  
• the after Lunch drinks with a Smoke in the Casino,
  
• the ‘Pre-Muster Drill’ Wine and
  
• our traditional ‘Celebratory arrival of the Luggage and Rum Runners’ Wine
  
• the ‘post Muster drill unpacking and getting organized’ Wine and Drinks
  
• Beer,
  
• the Sail-Away Wine and Drink,
  
• the ‘it’s still Sail-Away after one Bottle of Wine is gone’ drinks,
  
• and the ‘let’s open the 2nd Bottle ofWine while getting ready’ Wine and Drinks
  

we decided to head down to the Taste Bar and then the Casino for a pre-dinner Drink…..and some Blackjack. Conclusion# 783 - We wouldn't do anything for a Klondike Bar but we would get ready early for drinks and some Blackjack.

 

The Taste Bar on Deck 5 was featuring the Meatballs from the Cucina del Capitano Restaurant. Dee ate at that Restaurant with her oldest Son, our friend Laurie and one of her daughters while I was at the Steakhouse with Dee’s youngest, Laurie’s husband, Rick, and there other 3 kids on the Carnival Sunshine and she has been saying I would really enjoy it. We had the Meatballs on the Carnival Inspiration and the Carnival Miracle last October and enjoyed them then just as much as we did this time.

 

As far as our attraction to the Casinos on Carnival Ships it wasn’t ‘Love at 1st sight’ for me. On our first 2 Cruises together on the Carnival Freedom and the Carnival Paradise I watched Dee play Slots. Next up was the Swine Flu Cruise on the Carnival Splendor, the 1st Group Cruise we ever went on, and a few people we still Cruise with started to teach Dee how to play Blackjack and I watched. The next Cruise we went on was on the Carnival Dream and other than wondering why it was taking Dee 20 minutes to go to one of the Bathrooms and why she had to pay the Casino at least $20.00 to do so each time I don’t think I was in the Casino at all. Our next Cruise was back on the Carnival Splendor, our 1st Cruise with the Open Bar Card, and our friends who had started to teach Dee how to play Blackjack were on it as well as some others, who we had never met but who turned out to like to play Blackjack as well, were also in the Group. The 1st Night of the Cruise I was watching Dee play at a $5 Table and the entire Table was filled with Members of our Group and someone asked me if I wanted to squeeze into the “empty space and play?” I said “Yes” and have been saying “Yes” on Cruises ever since.

 

The closest Casino to our House is a 5-minute drive and during the the past 13 years we have been there once. Now if we are vacationing, whether it’s a Weekend in Vancouver, a 4 or 5 Night trip to Vegas, maybe a Week back in Nova Scotia to visit my Family and Friends and there’s a Casino nearby we may play for a Night, maybe 2 depending where we are and what’s going on, but it is purely Entertainment.

We arrived in the Casino about 5:20pm and I could hear an empty $10.00 Blackjack Table asking me if ‘I wanted to play?’ and I said “Yes” so we grabbed seats, got some Chips, ordered drinks and decided to play for what we originally thought would be an hour.

The Blackjack Table was the other reason I carried the Dollar Bills each day on this Cruise; it is fine when we are on our Group Cruises and everyone at the Table is from our Group and already trusts me. I play by ‘the Book’ – however ‘the Book’ wasn’t written against a 6-Deck Automatic Shuffler with a shuffle every hand – and I didn’t want to cause someone any unnecessary worry when they have $50.00 or $100.00 or more out on the Table as a Bet and a Waiter or Waitress delivers me a Drink and says “That is your 12th Mr. James”. Then I have to go into that “They are talking for the WHOLE Cruise” shtick.

 

Shortly after we sat down Catherine, one of the 2 Carnival Splendor Casino Hosts, arrived at our Table with the DOU Card for me. When I told her “we got the Cheers Program” she asked me ‘Why did I do that?’ I told her “My Wife did not have the DOU Card and we do our fair share of consuming outside of the Casino too.” and then introduced her to my drinking half, Dee. I asked Katherine ‘if I could have the Card as a Souvenir?’and she said that ‘would be fine.’ Both she and Victor, the other Casino Host,were very visible throughout the Cruise and very friendly. Before heading off to another table Katherine said she’d ‘find a way to make the DOU Card up to us.’

 

At 6:50 we decided it was time to colour up our Chips and make our way up to Deck 10 Aft and the Pinnacle Steakhouse. I think I drove Dee crazy from the time I made the Steakhouse Reservation until we arrived at the Steakhouse. I literally spent 5 months looking at the Steakhouse Menu going back and forth in my head as to what I was going to have. This was our 3rd time dining at the Pinnacle Steakhouse on the Carnival Splendor but the first time that it was just the two of us.

Dear James,

 

Thank youfor choosing Pinnacle Steakhouse for your dining.

 

Your reservation request for 2 Guests at 7:00 PM on April 09th,2017 is confirmed.

Should your plans change, please keep us advised atslsteakhouse@carnival.com

 

We lookforward to serving you!

 

Mirjana Djekic

Steakhouse Manager, Carnival Splendor

 

Conclusion # 784 -We were looking forward to being served.

 

We arrived at the Steakhouse right on time and were seated immediately at a Table for 2 right next to the Window. The Hostess explained the Free Bottle of Wine Promotion or the 50% off any Bottle of Wine or Champagne on their List.

 

Dee had a look at the Wine List and selected a Bottle of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, which was $30.00 + a 4.50 Gratuity after the 50% discount, and when it was my turn I asked for the Free Bottle of Wine. The Steakhouse Hostess smiled but was having none of that so I ordered Crown and Coke with lots of Ice, and an extra Wine Glass so I could enjoy a Glass of Dee's Sauv Blanc with my Meal.

 

One of our Waiters brought over the “Meat Cart’ shortly afterwards and explained all the choices and cuts we could select from not knowing that I had already made my decision, after 5 months of debate, 30seconds earlier.

 

Dee tested a sample of the Wine and it was to her liking so each of our Glasses were filled. It paired very well with my Crown and Coke. We were now ready to order and Dee went with the Beef Carpaccio as her Appetizer, the Baby Leaf Spinach and Fresh Mushrooms for her Salad and the Surf and Turf featuring a Maine Lobster Tail and Grilled Filet Mignon as her Entrée while I went with the Trio of Escargots, a Caesar Salad and the 18oz Grilled Prime Cowboy Steak for my Entrée. We requested shareable orders of Sautéed Medley of Fresh Mushrooms and Steamed Broccoli as well as 2 orders of Béarnaise Sauce.

 

A Slider for each of us, “Compliments of the Chef”, arrived shortly thereafter and we both agreed that they were very good. Our Meal, the Sunset, the Wine and most importantly to me, the Company made for a very Special Evening and a GREAT Start to our Cruise.

 

We were stuffed by the time Dessert rolled around and asked for 1 Piece of Cheesecake with a Cover that we could take back to the Cabin to enjoy later. We settled up our Bill and included a Cash Tip and leisurely made our way to the Outdoor Smoking Section on Deck 10 Mid-ship. Once there we tried our best to give away the Cheesecake but there were no takers. Conclusion# 784 – Smoking curbs Appetite.

 

We made a stop at the Cabin to drop off the Cheesecake where it remained untouched for the duration of the Night before finding our way back to the Oceanview Bar in the Casino where we ordered Drinks.

 

We enjoyed our after dinner Drinks and once Dee finished making a Deposit to the Casino via a Slot Machine we made our way to a Blackjack Table where for the next 4 hours we tried our Luck.

 

According to our S&S Statement at 12:21am we ordered our last Round of the 1st Day, ‘The Traditionals’, exactly 12 hours after our 1st Round of the Day in the Atrium, also a 'Traditional' Drink, at 12:21pm, and once we had our Drinks in hand we decided to call it a Night, colour up our Chips and make our way up to our Cabin. Once there we sat out on the Balcony, put a dent into ‘The Traditionals’ and enjoyed the Moonlit Sea.

 

It had been a GREAT 1st Day on the Carnival Sple r.

[vanislandcruisers]

love all the drink porn pics!!! Lol

 

lol

[sfaaa]

Nice review but a suggestion to OP. You may wish to blank out your full names in your pictures. Lots of bad people with bad intentions in this world.

[vanislandcruisers]

Nice review but a suggestion to OP. You may wish to blank out your full names in your pictures. Lots of bad people with bad intentions in this world.

 

Thanks.......and Thanks for the Suggestion.........I did make sure there wasn't anyway to connect our Names to any other Info (Folio Numbers, Past Guest Number, etc)

[emm126]

Loving your review. We have similar interests drinking, smoking (ecig), gambling and cruising. 1 thing though, your review started in April and today's posts state August. That must have been some bounce back offer you received.

 

Can't wait for the rest of your review.

[vanislandcruisers]

Loving your review. We have similar interests drinking, smoking (ecig), gambling and cruising. 1 thing though, your review started in April and today's posts state August. That must have been some bounce back offer you received.

 

Can't wait for the rest of your review.

 

Thanks...and LOL...Now that August thing is gonna bother me for the rest of my Cruise Critic life:D

[vanislandcruisers]

April 10th – Day 2 - A Fun Day At Sea

 

With me being the early riser in the Relationship even when we are on Vacation – however that would still hold true if I slept until 10:00am – ‘our’ Plan for this morning was for me to get up and head down to the Aft Adult-only area on Lido -Deck 9 to secure a couple of ‘sun worshipping’ Loungers to spend the morning on while Dee was grabbing a little more shut-eye. I woke up to see ‘The Traditionals’ on the Counter – we call then ‘The Traditionals’ because we always order them and seldom finish them - ...

 

 

....and regrettably with Dee still sleeping our Morning Run on the Jogging Track and Workout in the Gym would haveto wait another day.

 

So after taking a few morning Pics and with Plan in hand, I made way down………

 

to the Oceanview Bar on Deck 5 for a smoke and a Bottle of Water. #ExtraDollarBillfromtheLeftPocket I took the Bottle of Water with me and made a Deposit to the Casino at a Slot Machine before realizing it was cheaper at the Bar so back I went. After finishing the 1st Bottle of Water my plan for a 2nd Bottle changed to a Caesar once I asked the Bartender ‘if by chance they had Clamato Juice back there and if so could I get a Caesar please?’ When she replied that they ‘did’ and asked if ‘I wanted it Spicy?’ I knew I was in the right spot and asked for ‘Grey Goose as the Vodka’ and the‘Countdown to the Cheers 15’ had begun. The Caesar I received was served in a Large chilled Glass with a Straw and 2 plump Green Olives on a Swizzle Stick and was perfectly spiced. It tasted GREAT!!!

 

There was a couple at the Bar, Damien and Jenny, who as it turned were from Windsor, Ontario, and Damien, after hearing me order a Caesar, was thrilled to hear they had Clamato Juice and he ordered one as well. There was also a lady from Arizona, who as a best guess would have been in her late sixties or early seventies and she was not familiar with either Clamato Juice or a Caesar. Ordering a Caesar in Canada at any time during the morning, any morning, is universally accepted by all Canadians from Coast to Coast without exception; in fact Sundays are called Caesar Sundays and we celebrate the Caesar with its own recognized day – this year National Caesar Day in Canada is Thursday, May 18th, 2017.

 

Now ordering a Caesar at 8:04am in the morning next to someone who is not from Canada and not familiar with a Caesar gets us Canadians 1 of 2 questions eh ; 1.– ‘What’s the difference between that and a Bloody Mary?’ and/or 2. – ‘What’s Clamato Juice?’ The answer that Clamato Juice is a mixture of Clam and Tomato Juices gets a response of “Yuck” and this time was no different. I asked the Lady from Arizona if she liked Bloody Mary’s?’ and she did so I asked ourBartender for an extra straw and offered the Lady a taste of my Drink. After trying it she ordered one as well. Hail Caesar.

 

The 4 of us stood and chatted about how the Caesar’s and Bloody Mary’s are one of the “best Deals when it comes to Cheers because they are Double-shots in Big Glasses” and being in a Smoking Area the conversation made its way around to the ‘history of Smoking on Cruise Ships’. The Lady from Arizona said that ‘Cigarettes weren’t the only thing being smoked on the Ship as she smelled Weed while out on her Balcony the Night before’. That conversation morphed into the fact that in 2018 Marijuana is going to be legalized in Canada for personal use and I said that “Not only will Canadians have Dispensaries to shop at but each Canadian over the Age of Majority will be able to grow 4 Plants for personal use.” The Lady from Arizona said “That wouldn’t work for me with my gardening skills. My GreenThumb is a Black Thumb of Death. I can’t keep anything alive. Cactus die when I walk by them and I am supposed to be able to grow 4 Plants of GREAT NUG!” …. and we laughed and we laughed and we laughed.

 

Knowing I had a Plan that I was supposed to be following I made my way up to Deck 9 - Aft about 9:00am to follow through on the Plan. After finding a couple Loungers in a GREAT spot - Conclusion #785 -They were close to the Bar - I ‘chogged’ one of them and got comfortable on the other. Based on the Ship’s location at that time I am fairly certain Cuba thought the Carnival Splendor was surrendering when I took my Shirt off and exposed my Canadian complexion.

 

A courageous Drink Waiter, his eyes safely protected from the glare behind his Sunglasses, ventured over my way to ask if I needed a drink – I did – but only a 'Bottle of Water please'. #ExtraExtraDollarBillfromtheLeftPocket

 

Now about thisAdult-Only Aft Area on Deck 9; unbeknownst to Dee and I Carnival had recently done away with the Adults Only Aft Pool on the Ships that still had them, the Carnival Splendor being one of them. Conclusion #786 – We are notSerenity Deck people. Some of the best times we have had on past Cruises were in the Adult Only Aft Sections on the Carnival Dream and twice on theCarnival Splendor.

 

I did my best to reflect the Sun off my body for 45 minutes or so but with all the kids enjoying the Pools and the Hot Tub it got Kid loud not Bar loud very quickly back there so I made my way down to the Cabin and saw that Dee wasbeginning to stir and told her about the changes to the Lido Deck Aft Pool Area and the “GREAT NUG” story.

 

Dee asked ‘if I had eaten’ and I told her I had a couple of really big Green Olives.They serve them at the Casino Bar” which got a “Sweet. I LOVE Olives. I want SOME” response from her Conclusion#787 – She does LOVE Olives. so she got up to have a Shower. Once she was done I had my Shower as it saves us time if I shower 2nd because it takes me no time at all to do my hair in the Heat of the Caribbean.

 

With yesterday now washed away we made our way down to the Oceanview Bar at 10:30am where we each ordered 2 Olives with a Side of Grey Goose, Clamato Juice and Spices. I lit up a Smoke and put my Pack on the Bar and the Lady beside me said “Are you from Canada?” I looked over at her and said “Yes Jenny I am” and after Jenny laughed and said “OMG. I’m so sorry Jim” I introduced her to Dee. We had 4 more Olives with Sides each then, along with Damien, we watched Jenny in the Qualifying Round for the Slot Tournament – she made it to the Finals - before making our way to Deck 3 Aft and the Gold Pearl Dining Room for the Sea Day Brunch.

 

There was a short line and once at the Maître d` Stand we requested a Table for 2 but were told they ‘only had Sharing Tables right now’. I let the Hostess know we “had no problem waiting for a Table for 2” and fortunately for us a Table for 2 opened up between the time I told her ‘we’d wait’ and she looked down at the Dining Room layout. We followed a Hostess who ended up behind a Lady who was not keeping up with her Hostess and the rest of her Party at all but was keeping up with her Cell Phone.She stopped, typed and sent a message, walked a little further, got a message, stopped, typed a message, got a message, sent a message all the way across the Dining Room until she had to stop to find where the rest of her Party had been seated. We could see the frustration on our Hostess’ face. When the Lady with the Phone finally saw the rest of her Party they were seated at a Booth right next to an empty Booth……which turned out to be ours. So we took our seats in the Booth next to her and the other 3 in her Party; her Mom, her Sister and her Cell Phone.

 

Dee started off with a Coffee and ordered the ‘eggs benedict’ with ham, hollandaise sauce and “zesty home fries”while I went with Water Conclusion #788 – Olives make me thirsty. and one of the ‘chef’s favorites’, the“hey pork chop”, a flame roasted, double-cut thick pork chop, topped with caramelized onion, gorgonzola cream, a side of fries and blistered beans in bbq sauce and a side of Bacon……to share.

 

Just as we finished ordering the Ladies and the Phone at the Booth next to us started ordering and as much as we couldn’t believe it they were still ordering when we got our Meal. Every single item they ordered came with a special request of how it was to be prepared; it had to be 10 or 15 minutes of instructions. Looked like the poor Waiter was writing 'War and Peace' Conclusion #789 – They had a Phone. Shoulda called in their order ahead of time.

 

Dee enjoyed her Eggs Benny and the ‘hey pork chop’ was stellar and just as Carnival wrote on the Menu it was “fun to say, better to eat”. I don’t know what gongonzola cream is but it was Green Olive good.

We made our way back to the Oceanview Bar and spent the next ½ hour having a Drink and playing the Slots before making our down to the Pixels Gallery to grab our 'Welcome Aboard' Photo. With a lot of Day and Night left and me being a third of the way through the Cheers 15 we made our way up to our Cabin where we were met by our 1st Towel Animal of the Cruise, .....

 

 

....made some Drinks and spent the next little while sitting out on the Balcony enjoying each other’s Company, the sounds of the Sea and the View.

 

We had a follower

 

Love it when the Sea turns to this colour

[vanislandcruisers]

April 10th – Day 2 - A Fun Day At Sea (continued)

Around 3:45pm we decided it was time for a Snack and a non-Balcony Drink so we grabbed a couple Drinks at the Lido Liner Bar and then went up to the Bar-B-Q which is located inside on Deck 10 – Aft where I had a little Smoked Beef and some Mac ‘n Cheese. Dee’s order of Pulled Pork Butt elicited a snicker from a Lady and her daughter passing by and she also ordered a ‘snicker free’ side of Mac ‘n Cheese.

 

Just before 5:00pm we made our way down to the Our House Sports Bar – a place we had spent a LOT of time in on our Swine Flu Cruise – for some Drinks and to play some Sports Trivia. As the Cruise went along we really came to enjoy and appreciate the Bartender, Nemanja, in the Sports Bar. He was hard-working, witty and we could easily see how much he enjoyed what he was doing.

 

The Trivia Host, a fellow Canadian, did a GREAT Job during the Contest and Dee and I were able to answer 16 of 20 Questions correctly and finished in a tie for 2nd. We would have had much better results if the Number of Adult Beverages consumed during the Competition were factored in to the Final Results.

 

At around 6:00pm we went to the Casino for a Drink and a Smoke and Dee ended up playing some Slots while I stood and chatted with the Group on the smoking side of the Oceanview Bar whose faces would become more and more familiar as the Week went along.

 

We made our way up to the Cabin about 6:45pm, poured our ‘get ready for Dinner Drinks’, spent some time on the Balcony and got ready for Elegant Night which meant I had to find the Laundry Room on Deck 9 and operate a Hot Iron. It was a ‘Not going to take my Jacket off cause I only ironed the Front of my Shirt' kind of Night and as it turned out there were 2 of these Nights this Cruise.

 

It was time to make our 1st Trip to the Dining Room and according to our S&S Cards we were seated at Table 511 on the Upper Level: Deck 4 in the Gold Pearl Dining Room. I had sent an email to the Maitre’d on the Carnival Splendor 12 days before our Cruise in the hope that a Request for a Booth for 2 in Natalja K’s Section could be accommodated. Natalja is a friend of our friend Vladimir, who is currently on the Carnival Pride, and when he found out we were going on the Carnival Splendor he put us together with Natalja on Facebook. There had been some uncertainty as to whether or not she’d be doing Your Time or Set Time Dining on this Cruise but she messaged me on the Saturday while we were in Hollywood Beach and said she was in the ‘Gold Pearl Dining Room, Upper Level’ so it looked good.

 

You know how a Dog gets the same food EVERY SINGLE DAY and is still HAPPY??? That pretty much describes us when it comes to eating in the Dining Room on a Carnival Cruise. Despite the new American Table and American Feast Menus a large number of Menu items remain from when we first started cruising regularly with Carnival in 2008 and generally we can always find something that makes us happy and if not there is always Bar Service. Conclusion # 790 - I have eaten my fair share of Shrimp Cocktail, Caesar Salad, Flat Iron Steak and Warm Chocolate Melting Cake 4-Course meals in the past 9 years.

 

To be honest we probably enjoy the Staff in the Dining Room and the Dining Room experience itself on Carnival more than the food. We thoroughly enjoy the Dancing, the Singing and even the swinging overhead of the sauce-and-butter-and-food-and-crumbs-launching Napkins by our fellow Cruisers…………and us……… and this Cruise was no different. We Love it all!!! Unless we are at a Specialty Restaurant or it’s a late stop in a Port it is extremely rare for us to miss our nightly trip to the Dining Room.....on Carnival

 

We arrived at our Booth, located about halfway down the Left side of the Upper Level if you are looking at the Dining Room from the Entrance to it and excitedly settled in to our Seats as we were very much looking forward to meeting Natalja.

 

The 1st Member of our Dining Room Team, one of the Assistant Waiters by the name of Wayan who was from Indonesia, stopped by the Booth and asked us if we would ‘like Bar Service?’ because, as we found out, our Wait Staff now takes the orders for ands gets our Drinks for us. We each ordered a Glass of Wine and off he went. Conclusion # 791 – He didn’t have to ask us twice.

 

The 2nd Member of our Dining Room Team, Made and also from Indonesia, stopped by with our Menus and our Basket of Bread and told us our Head Waiter would be by shortly to meet us. And a few minutes later our Head Waiter, also named Made and from Indonesia, came by to introduce himself and take our Orders.

 

Each of us ordered the Shrimp Cocktail as our Appetizer and the Broiled Maine LobsterTail as our Main and we ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara, one of our favourite dishes on Carnival, to split. I also asked for a Bowl of the Italian Wedding Soup.

 

AfterMade took our Orders and took off we both looked at each other and said “Hmmm”and then looked across the Upper Level of the Dining Room to see Natalja, along with her Team, diligently serving the passengers who were dining in her Section. We made a plan to go see her after our Dinner.

 

This Meal, and the Dining Room food in general on this Cruise were noticeably hotter –and tastier - than the food has been on our last 4 or 5 Carnival Cruises and again we don’t cruise to eat. Just thought we’d give props where they are due.

 

For Dessert I ordered the ‘Warm Chocolate Melting Cake’ Mickey Mouse Style with 2 Scoops of Ice Cream while Dee went with Chocolate Ice Cream. When the Desserts arrived my WCMC had 1 scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream and 1 Scoop of a Chocolate Sauce that must have been intended for someone else’s Plate.

 

The Shots Waiter made his way by our Booth and having not drank anything yet today out of a Green Glass we each had one. #ExtraExtraExtraDollarBillfromtheLeftPocket We told him we were a pretty good bet to buy each Night and with that information he never again came by our Booth during the Cruise.

 

Once the Wait Staff’s Dancing and Singing were done we settled up our Bar Bill with Wayan and then made our way over to the other side of the Upper Level to say “Hi” to Natalja. She was happy to see us but disappointed we were not in her Section as she too ‘had spoken to the Maitre’d before the Cruise’ and ‘couldn’t figure out what happened as she had an empty Booth last night and this night and she thought it was ours because she knew we were going to the Steakhouse on the 1st Night.’

 

We had spoken many times before the Cruise to Natalja and had asked her to figure out ‘which day of either San Juan or Grand Turk she’d be able to join us off the Ship’ as our “treat” and she said Grand Turk ‘would work best’ as she’d be “off work at 10:00am” that morning so we told her we’d take her to Jack’s Shack that day. We gave her a Hug as we were leaving and she said she’d find out ‘why we weren’t in her Section’ and to come to her Section for Dinner the next Night.

 

Back to the Oceanview Bar in the Casino we went where we spent the rest of the Night playing Blackjack. I was fortunate enough to Win the$ 100.00 Hot Seat sometime after 11:00pm....

 

We ordered the Traditionals #0DollarBills # CheersSuccess at 12:24, coloured up our Chips, headed up to the Cabin, placed our Room Service Order on the Hallway Door Handle with a 6:30am - 6:45am delivery time, set the Wake-up call for 6:00am on the Cabin Phone and headed out on the Balcony to wind down with 'The Traditionals' for a few minutes.

 

It had been a GREAT 1st Day at Sea.

 

And tomorrow would be Amber Cove, Dominican Republic and our Terracross Outback Adventure

[wbc12345]

I am really enjoying your review! I just booked this cruise for October, so I can't wait to hear about the port days. Your sense of humor is so much fun to read.

[vanislandcruisers]

I am really enjoying your review! I just booked this cruise for October, so I can't wait to hear about the port days. Your sense of humor is so much fun to read.

 

Thanks so much!!!....We LOVED this Itinerary!!!...Our 1st time to Amber Cove and San Juan - definitely won't be our last time to either place...will get Amber Cove up tomorrow morning - one of the BEST Excursions we have ever done!!!....and St. Thomas on Friday morning...and Thanks again

[Bosrox]

Thanks so much!!!....We LOVED this Itinerary!!!...Our 1st time to Amber Cove and San Juan - definitely won't be our last time to either place...will get Amber Cove up tomorrow morning - one of the BEST Excursions we have ever done!!!....and St. Thomas on Friday morning...and Thanks again

 

I like every your report too. Also on this itinerary on NYE so reading closely. You and Dee are my ideal travel partners.

[vanislandcruisers]

I like every your report too. Also on this itinerary on NYE so reading closely. You and Dee are my ideal travel partners.

 

Thanks ...and Nice on the NYE Cruise...haven't done one yet but it is on our Bucket List

[vanislandcruisers]

April 11th - Day 3– Amber Cove, Dominican Republic 7:30am– 3:30pm

 

 

We were very excited to get to Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic. We were even more excited to get past Amber Cove and see some of what the DR has to offer. On our Carnival Miracle Cruise in 2012 we were supposed to go to La Romana which would have allowed us to get out and see the Sights on the Island however shortly before our Cruise we were notified of an Itinerary Change that would see us go to Catalina Island, DR instead from which we saw nothing. So now it was Amber Cove and beyond….

 

One of the Caribbean’s newest destinations, Amber Cove Cruise Center, is located in the Dominican Republic on the Bay of Maimon near Puerto Plata on the country’s North Coast.

 

The project was designed to re-establish the Dominican Republic’s North Coast as a popular cruise destination. Prior to Amber Cove opening it had been almost 30 years since the last cruise ship called on the Puerto Plata area.

The two-berth Amber Cove Cruise Center can accommodate up to 8,000 cruise passengers and 2,000 crew members daily. A transportation hub allowing visitors easy access by land and sea to the surrounding destinations and attractions was included as well.

 

During the planning stages for the Cruise we were really torn on what to do in with it being a new Port for us. Initially we were leaning towards the Secluded Luxury Villa For the Day, then we looked at the All Inclusive RIU Resort Pass....

 

This is the RIU Resort...right next to Amber Cove

 

 

...and then we looked at the All Inclusive Beach Resort Getaway at the Iberostar Costa Dorata. The ‘All We Could Drink’ Inclusiveness of these three Excursions and the mostly positive Reviews had caught our attention but the seclusion wouldn’t really allow us to see any of the Island.

 

With the exception of Horseback Riding once in Ensenada and renting Golf Carts twice on Catalina Island, CA we have tried to stay clear of Activities that required us to steer or drive in any way, shape or form…“stay Sober”. Both the Horseback Riding and the Golf Carts were booked for as early as possible in the day so as not to infringe on ‘prime consumption times’.

 

Dee decided‘we’ really wanted to do something adventurous so ‘we’ decided on the Outback Terracross Adventure for $109.99/person. The Excursion was described as‘taking a thrilling countryside adventure on these 'go anywhere' Terracross buggies.’ ‘We’ would ‘explore countryside trails well off the beaten track, hear snippets of cool information about the Dominican Republic and stop for a breather where’ ‘we'll’ ‘drink fresh coconut water pretty much straight from the tree.’ ‘We’ were to bring ‘swimwear’ so ‘we’ could ‘cool off "Dominican style" in a natural swimming pool, water shoes or sports shoes, sunglasses or goggles, a bandanna to cover’ our ‘faces, sunscreen, insect repellent and cash for snacks, drinks and souvenirs’. Conclusion # 792 - ‘WE’Love Dee!!!

 

At the time we booked there were 68 Reviews of this Excursion on the Carnival Website with all 68 giving it a 5-Star Rating. Last I looked there were 113 Reviews all with the same 5-Star Rating. Dee liked the Adventure aspect of the Excursion while I liked the fact we would get out of the Port Area and see and learn a little about the Dominican Republic on the 30-minute Open-Air Bus Ride over to the Excursion Site and on the Excursion itself…..and apparently it was me who would be driving the Terracross Buggy. We chose the 8:00am Start Time over the 10:15am start knowing this way we’d be back around 12noon so we could relax and enjoy some Beverages at Amber Cove.

 

The Cabin Phone rang as requested at 6:00am and after showering and getting dressed Conclusion # 793 – Always a good idea before leaving the Cabin. I made my way over to the mid-ship Smoking Section on our Deck and it was obvious that it had rained a LOT during the Night as Carnival Staff were busy squeegeeing the Deck off. After finishing my Smoke I went back to the Cabin and was surprised to hear Dee was already in the Shower. I saw both the Elephant Towel Animal on the Sofa and The Traditionals on the Counter, neither of which came as a surprise to me.

 

Unfortunately Our Morning Run and Workout were casualties to an early start to the day with the 7:30 arrival in AmberCove and a 7:45am Meeting Time for our Excursion.

 

The Room Service arrived at exactly 6:30am and after tipping the Server and bringing the Tray into the Cabin I got another surprise as I was able to see what we had ordered the Night before. Evidently I wanted Frosted Flakes and an upper case BLT along with 3 Milk. The Milk was AWESOME. Dee had some Froot Loops and a couple of Cinnamon Buns and her morning Coffee.

 

We took our ‘surprises’ out onto the Balcony to eat and watch the Ship dock and then we packed our Knapsack with our Towels, a Change of Clothes for each of us, 2 Bottles of Water, the Camera, our Excursion Supplies and some other necessities and then made our way over to the Smoking Section on Deck 10 to wait for the ‘All Clear’ Announcement which came shortly before 7:30am.

 

We walked forward on Deck 10 and then took the Stairs down to the Gangway on Deck 0 where I had to have my Security Picture retaken, then posed to have our ‘Welcome to Amber Cove…’ Picture taken before making our way out onto the very wet Pier. The information on our Ticket said to meet our ‘Excursion at the start of the Pier at 7:45am for an 8:00am departure’. ‘Which end would be considered the start?’ we wondered but decided to walk along the Pier, through the Duty Free Shop and out into the Port Area where we found signs for all the Carnival Excursions. We now knew that the end we had finished our walk at and not the end we had started our walk at was the Start.

 

 

We had done our research for this Excursion and knew we were either in for a lot of dust or a lot of Mud and Water – with all the Rain the previous Night we knew it was likely going to be Mud and Water.

 

I had purposely worn a dry-fit Toronto Blue Jays T-Shirt today for 2 Reasons; 1- Mud and Water and 2 – I knew the Blue Jays had quite a following in the Dominican Republic. As soon as we arrived at the Sign for our Excursion our Host, Kelvin, .....

 

 

.....made a comment about the Blue Jays and we chatted about Baseball until it was time to head to our Bus.

 

 

The ½ hour ride over to and through Puerto Plata was fun, informative and WET – the skies absolutely opened up once we started moving and Kelvin was laughing at everyone trying to keep dry saying “Just wait. And for those of you wearing White that might not have been the best decision today”.

[vanislandcruisers]

April 11th - Day 3– Amber Cove, Dominican Republic 7:30am– 3:30pm (continued)

 

Once at the Outback Adventures Compound we signed our Waiver and then headed over to our Terracross Buggy....

... and put our Safety Sunglasses on and then covered the lower ½ of our faces with the Bandanas we had brought. There were 2 Rows of 8 for a Total of 16 Buggies and 32 People in our Group. We were in the 3rd Buggy in the Left Row (closest to the Gate) so we ended up being 3rd in line for the entire Excursion.

The young man, Junior, who looked after buckling us in, giving us the operating instructions for the Buggy and getting us Helmets that fit properly took an instant liking to my Jays Shirt so we ended up talking a little about Baseball as well.

In our minds nothing will ever live up to the ‘Swimming with the Stingrays’ and the ‘Dunn’s River/Bamboo Beach Club’ Excursions we did on our 1st Cruise together in 2008 mainly because they were our 1st but this Excursion was AMAZING!!!! It was EVERYTHING we thought it would be and SO MUCH MORE.

Once we were all strapped in with our engines running and all ready to go it was our line of 8 Buggies that were to lead the rest out onto to the Streets and through the little Village to the Off-Road Paths. I had just started idling forward when the Lady driving the Buggy in front of us stomped on her Gas Pedal and reversed to within what looked like a centimeter of the Front End of our Buggy. Conclusion # 794– It nearly became ‘muddy’, so to speak, in the front of our Buggy before the Ride even started.

The Staff got her straightened out with what setting to put the Gear Shift in and with a laugh she was on her way as were we. We traveled through some of the City Streets before getting on to the off-road Paths. The 1st 15 minutes of the Ride were drier than the rest of the Journey would be.

 

We stopped at a clearing in the Woods where they used a Machete to prepare the Coconuts for us to drink the Coconut Water from. There was no one there to Put de Rum in de Coconut for us.

 

 

 

 

A Group of Dune Buggies pulled up alongside where we were all parked and the Host of that Group ended up getting his Buggy bottomed out on a Tree Root. He matted the Gas Pedal and the one wheel that was still in contact with the Ground absolutely pelted the couple in the Buggy behind him with Mud and Debris. They couldn’t yell at him for fear of swallowing ½ of Puerto Plata so I ran up and gave him a Tap on the Shoulder. He found the condition of the Couple behind him a lot funnier than they did.

Our break done the real fun started as we headed deeper into the Trees....,

 

....and deeper into the Mud and the Puddles that at times reached the bottom of our Seats.

 

 

I got as much speed as we could get out of the Buggy and hit the Puddles and Mud as fast as we could. The smiles that started on our faces when we first started only got wider as the Ride went along. By the end of the 90-minute ride we were soaked, covered in Mud and smiling from ear to ear.

 

On the ride back through Town to the Outback Adventure Home Base a little Boy ran up to our Buggy and asked us for our Bandanas which we gave him without a 2nd thought.

[vanislandcruisers]

April 11th - Day 3– Amber Cove, Dominican Republic 7:30am– 3:30pm (continued)

 

Due to the heavy Rains that the DR had been experiencing over the previous several weeks we were not able to ‘cool off "Dominican style" ina natural swimming pool’ due to poor Water conditions. The Water was brown.We were OK with that decision. Once back we used the Outdoor Shower to clean off and then headed over to the Bathrooms to dry off and put on our change of Clothes. Just after I finished getting changed a Man came in and walked up to this Wooden Shelf contraption and started feeling around for a Water Tap to wash his hands. I told him that ‘I was pretty sure that was a Wooden Urinal and not a Sink and that the Handwashing Station was outside between the 2 Bathrooms.’ The Outback Adventure Staff Member seconded my statement and the Man quickly pulled his hands out of the Urinal. Betcha it’s not the 1st time in his life that someone has looked at him and said “Urine trouble” but it may be the 1st time that it was spelled that way.

 

Now clean and refreshed we made our way over to the Outdoor Eating Area that was set up for our Group. There were 3 Ladies, dressed in colourful and traditional Dominican Dresses, there who, along with Kelvin, served us all the DFC - Dominican Fried Chicken - and thinly sliced Plantains that had been deep fried, that we could eat. It was also unlimited Rum Punch, or Rum and Pepsi or 7-up and/or local Dominican and Imported Beer that we could drink during our Lunch.

 

We also got to try some Pineapple Wine – very good – and Mamajuana which is the native drink of the Dominican Republic and amongst Dominicans; this tasty drink has gained somewhat of a mythical status. Legend has it that Mamajuana acts as somewhat of a cure all from everything from “la gripe” (the Dominican term for the flu) to a variety of ailments ranging from prostate to ovarian disorders. However, Mamajuana has gained specific notoriety among Dominicans for its rumored ability to increase vitality. It is said to be an extremely powerful natural aphrodisiac. Some even go so far as to describe it as a type of natural “liquid ******”. - starts with a 'V', rhymes with 'Niagara'. Dee asked if I could possibly get a Double-Shot.

 

We had a little time after eating to browse the Shop on the Site and ended up purchasing, after some lengthy negotiations, a Ring for Dee where the Band is reversible and it has Amber on one side as the Stone and Larimar as the Stone on the other side when the Band is reversed or vice versa. It was made by a Jeweler by the name of Taller Joyeria Martin and when he first told me the Price I asked him if he 'had a Nephew or Son who drove a black SUV in Fort Lauderdale and hung out by the Airport?' It is one of her favourite purchases on any of our Trips.

 

I also bought a Blue Jays Baseball made out of Stone on a Stand......

 

 

and a Bottle of Brugal Extra Viejo Rum (Extra Aged) to share……..with some bacon.

 

Before we left I made a point of finding Junior and gave him my dry-fit Jays Shirt and he was very appreciative to the point I thought he was going to cry. He said that he now ‘had a Shirt to go along with the Jays Hat he had’ and now I thought I was going to cry

 

We were all now in our Seats on the Bus and just before we pulled out the Lady sitting in Front of us said she had to “quickly use the Bathroom” and off she went. As it turned out she and the man sitting next to her had just gotten Married on Embarkation Day, and the rest of their Party, who were her relatives, were laughing and saying “this is what you will be living with for the rest of your Life” They were really giving him the Gears. Once she was back Kelvin followed her on the Bus with a Cooler which held, Ice, 7-Up and Pepsi and what we call a “Handle”of Brugal Rum for the Ride back to the Port.

 

Dee was able to snap a few Pictures while Kelvin added a lot of FYI’s as far as the Dominican Republic was concerned during the trip back.

 

 

There is an Excursion you can do with a Skyride (Gondola) to the Top of a Mountain in Puerto Plata through Carnival...this is the Mountain...there's a Christ Statue with Arms outstretched like the one in Rio at the Top and it is visible in this Picture if you look very closely

 

 

When we reached the Security Gate at the Entrance to the Port the Lady sitting in front of us had to go again BAD…and Kelvin and our Bus Driver were able to convince the Security Guards to let her use their Bathroom in the Office. While she was gone her Father wedged a Plastic Cup in between the Safety Bar on the back of his Seat, which would be directly in front of where his Daughter was seated, in case she had to go again between the Security Gate and the Drop Off. Gotta LOVE Family.

 

Once back in Amber Cove we Thanked, Tipped and said Good-bye to Kelvin and our Bus Driver.

[BarJen]

loving the review!

we will be on the Splendor in October, was there a refrigerator in your cabin?

[Jamman54]

Really enjoying your review. We loved our cruises on the Splendor and will be back on her next year. Keep it coming!!! :cool:

[vanislandcruisers]

April 11th - Day 3– Amber Cove, Dominican Republic 7:30am– 3:30pm (continued)

 

We wandered around Amber Cove and tooksome Pictures...

Looking towards the RIU Resort

 

 

 

Across the Bay

 

 

 

... and browsed in few of theDominican Shops

[vanislandcruisers]

April 11th - Day 3– Amber Cove, Dominican Republic 7:30am– 3:30pm (continued)

 

More Pics from Amber Cove

 

 

 

 

 

[vanislandcruisers]

April 11th - Day 3 – Amber Cove, Dominican Republic 7:30am– 3:30pm (continued)

 

More Pics from Amber Cove

[vanislandcruisers]

April 11th - Day 3 – Amber Cove, Dominican Republic 7:30am– 3:30pm (continued)

 

We made our way all….the….way….up….the….Stairs…..to…..the….Sky….Bar. We clearly understood why there was an AED attached to the building at the Top of the Stairs.

 

Finally at the Bar we grabbed a couple of Stools and ordered a Pair of Pina Coladas.

 

 

It was HOT but there was a nice Breeze that kept us nice and cool and we decided we were just going to stay there for the rest of our time and not head to the Aqua Zone which was a fancy name for the Pool Area.

 

 

We have to say Amber Coveis very Nice and very well laid out.

 

Over the Water Cabanas

 

Zip Lining Shed

 

We spent the next 2+ hours enjoying some more Pina Coladas and Mai Tai’s, the Breeze and the View and especially enjoyed watching a few Carnival Staff Members paint the 'C', the 'A', and the 'R' on the Starboard side of the Ship. We had only seen the Port Side when we arrived at the Port of Miami on the 9th and didn’t know both sides need some attention

 

Once we knew they had spelled ‘Carnival’ correctly we decided to beat the Rush and get back on the Ship about 2:30pm.

 

We absolutely LOVED what we saw of and the People we met from the Dominican Republic and the Excursion was beyond expectations. The only thing we would have liked is if Carnival and/or Outback Adventures had a Photographer that took Pictures of the Ride.

[vanislandcruisers]

April 11th - Day 3 – Amber Cove, Dominican Republic 7:30am– 3:30pm (continued)

 

We went through Security and bypassed the ‘Alcohol Check-in Table’ and headed up to the Lido Deck Aft to get our daily fix at the Tandoor Station before making our way back to our Cabin where we were met by our 2nd Towel Animal.

 

We both had ‘proper’ Showers and then we organized our Laundry stuffing 2 of the Paper Laundry Bags as full as we could get them and since Putu was in the Hallway I asked him if he ‘wanted the Bags now?’ which he said he ‘did’ so off the 2 Bags went. Free Laundry is one of the BEST PERKS of being Platinum in our opinion. That done we made some Drinks and sat out on the Balcony and took in the sights and took some Pictures. Seeing the lines to get back on the Ship made us glad we got back onboard a little earlier than usual.

 

The next 60 minutes were spent on our Balcony where we were able to get some good Pictures before it was time for Sail-Away.

 

 

 

[vanislandcruisers]

April 11th - Day 3 – Amber Cove, Dominican Republic 7:30am– 3:30pm (continued)

 

More Pics from the Balcony

 

 

 

 

 

[vanislandcruisers]

April 11th - Day 3 – Amber Cove, Dominican Republic 7:30am– 3:30pm (continued)

 

Pics from Sail-Away