Me, #theboy, and the unwanted guest on Allure

[sharse]

REALLY enjoying your report, your writing style, and your sense of humor.

 

This from the Master review writer! I'm not worthy! But thank you.

[sharse]

Day 3 – At Sea

 

I woke up to a noise at 7:00am, and quickly determined that the water cup on #theboy’s bedside table had been knocked over and his stuffed cat was in the trash can which was in between our beds. He was sitting straight up, staring straight ahead, and I asked him how he was feeling. He responded with an unintelligible grunt, and I asked him if he could just roll over and go back to sleep. Which he promptly did. When he woke again about 9:30 I asked him if he remembered the events of 2.5 hours ago. Nope. No recollection.

 

He had a fever according to the tried-and-true (if not terribly exact) method of mom's lips to child's forehead. Also a stuffy nose, but thankfully that seemed to be it for now. CBW, right? After dropping $18 on a $7 bottle of DayQuil in the shop on deck 5 and gathering a little food and some beverages now and again, I spent most of the day reading on the balcony, watching the sea and praying he gets better and not worse. He spent all day in bed. Sadly this meant we missed the 9:30am Cruise Critic meet and greet which was scheduled that morning.

 

That night I couldn’t bear the thought of going to my time dining by myself so I went to Sabor, which was empty. The guacamole was amazing. The empanadas were ok. The shrimp tacos were terrific, mostly because the tortillas were out of this world. After dinner I went to check on #theboy and he was definitely feeling better. I went and listened to a little music in Central Park. There was a wonderful guitar player and a I enjoyed a glass of wine from Vintages. Vintages was pretty empty, which was the case whenever I went back later in the cruise. Has anyone ever seen this place crowded? After that I went up to the Schooner Bar knowing a piano player would soon be starting. The Schooner bar on this ship is not a good music venue in my opinion. You can hear everything happening on the Royal Promenade, and if there is music down there too, it interferes. The pianist was good, but it is just not a top notch environment for music, sadly.

 

At the Schooner Bar I ran into a couple I'd met the first night at Rising Tide. They were in search of munchies. She ran to Johnny Rockets to get fries because they didn’t want pizza, and at that hour, that’s all that was available. Another downside to this ship, but CBW. It kept me from overeating, which is always a good thing!

 

I left the Schooner Bar, checked on #theboy again, and went to the 10:30 Love & Marriage show. It was fun and amusing as always. Jimmy is a fun CD, but sometimes he talks a little fast and I can't always understand him. After the show I went back to the cabin and Nicholas was awake and feeling a little better. I spent some time on the balcony just listening to the waves before heading to bed.

 

Quick side note regarding the Allure that I haven’t seen on other ships… there is no need for a nightlight in the bathroom. When you turn the light off, it actually doesn’t go all the way off. It stays on just enough to be a very effective nightlight. That's a good thing for people like me who drink 10 bottles of water a day. I'm just sayin'.

[Milwaukee Eight]

Still no unwanted guest. Must not be the bug.

 

 

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[_linda_]

Maybe a birdie joined them on the balcony.

 

 

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[CapeGal]

The mom in me just went, "Awwwwww." And my heart may have skipped a beat. I am traveling with my 11yo on the Oasis in August and look forward to moments like these. He is my snuggle bug and I absorb it all while I can.

 

 

 

REALLY enjoying your report, your writing style, and your sense of humor.

 

 

 

It’s wonderful to have them snuggle or hug me. My youngest is a wonderful 34 year old with a child of his own and will still sit next to me and make me feel loved.

[kgrassel]

Looking forward to the rest of the adventure!

[sharse]

Love this thread....you are a hoot! Must be fun to live with..!

 

Funny you should say that. It is absolutely my goal! Thank you.

[sharse]

Maybe a birdie joined them on the balcony.

 

 

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Actually, I hadn't planned on mentioning that, but yes, while docked in Nassau we did often have a bird come visit us! Freaked me out at first, but it became quite enjoyable to watch him (her? I didn't mean to assume gender, of course) come and go.

[CreativeCruiser119]

Actually, I hadn't planned on mentioning that, but yes, while docked in Nassau we did often have a bird come visit us! Freaked me out at first, but it became quite enjoyable to watch him (her? I didn't mean to assume gender, of course) come and go.

 

 

 

How lovely! I heard they put lizards in Central Park to eat the bugs, but I’ve never seen one!

 

Kind of a random question, but what side of the ship was your balcony on? On Allure, most of the time, port side faces the port and Starboard faces the dock, although not all of the time. Nothing beats sitting out on the balcony and enjoying the scenery (and wildlife!) thanks again for the review, I too love your writing style and can’t wait to read more!

 

 

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[Ourusualbeach]

How lovely! I heard they put lizards in Central Park to eat the bugs, but I’ve never seen one!

 

Kind of a random question, but what side of the ship was your balcony on? On Allure, most of the time, port side faces the port and Starboard faces the dock, although not all of the time. Nothing beats sitting out on the balcony and enjoying the scenery (and wildlife!) thanks again for the review, I too love your writing style and can’t wait to read more!

 

 

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The chief gardener on Allure put that myth to rest. They do not intentionally put them on and they do try to keep them off. How they arrive is that their eggs are laid in the soil that replacement plants come in and despite screening for them a few slip through and are born on board.

[Lady Chew]

What is "CBW" ??

[CreativeCruiser119]

What is "CBW" ??

 

 

 

“Could’ve been worse”

 

 

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[CreativeCruiser119]

The chief gardener on Allure put that myth to rest. They do not intentionally put them on and they do try to keep them off. How they arrive is that their eggs are laid in the soil that replacement plants come in and despite screening for them a few slip through and are born on board.

 

 

 

I never knew that! That makes sense. Maybe I’m just gullible! Thanks for clearing that up!

 

 

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[sharse]

Day 4 – Cozumel

 

Woke about 8:00am, opened up the curtains and saw that we were already docked. Again today we didn't have any particular plans and were just going to play it by ear. I was actually happy I hadn't spent a bunch of money on an excursion! From the balcony we watched the Carnival Triumph pull up and dock next to us. I then went up to Vitality Café for another juice and a bottle of water, and then to the Solarium Café to feed myself and grab some food to take back for #theboy. (Is that a run-on sentence? Or just a wicked long one?). Anyway...he was feeling better, but not great. His fever had broken, thankfully.

 

After delivering his breakfast to the cabin, I went to Park Café for a latte and ran into some friends who used to live in my town. I had no idea they were on board because I hadn't purchased VOOM and hadn't been using the internet at all. Small world, this large ship!

After getting back to the cabin I convinced #theboy to go for a walk with me to see if he felt better, while letting the cabin steward in. We went up to the Solarium Café and got him a little more to eat -- he loved the waffles -- and then wandered around the pool deck, watching the Carnival Victory pull up and dock on the other side of the Triumph. After that we came back to the cabin and since the steward was not quite finished we decided to see if our deck (7 aft) had a “secret” deck. Indeed it does!

It isn’t marked on the map, but at the very end of the hallway is a glass door that leads to the back deck where the rock climbing wall is. There are seats and plenty of public space to hang out. This would be a great spot to watch whatever is going on at the Aqua Theater. Note to self! (And anyone still reading this thread.). There are also stairs right down to the Boardwalk, and one more set of stairs down to deck 5 and the jogging track. After making such a monumental discovery, #theboy was tired and wanted to go back to the cabin to rest.

 

I, however, was feeling like Columbus, or Ponce de Leon, or Lewis & Clark, and felt the need to continue exploring! I was in search of the other not-so-secret deck which I'd heard of but not yet seen with my own eyes… on deck 14. All the way forward, port side, is the Sun Deck. While docked in Cozumel there was a sign saying “Due to High Winds the Sun Deck is closed.” Huh? It was calm. There was clearly some reason they wanted to keep us away from this holy grail. Was there nude sunbathing out there? A special fountain of youth? Excellent umbrella drinks? Whatever. At least I could confirm the place was real, and not a mirage. I took a few pictures, then turned around, forgot that I’d just climbed two small stairs to get to the Sundeck, and promptly twisted my ankle by not paying attention. Score: Stairs - 1. Me - 0.

 

Spilled half my frozen mojito in the process. Now I was pissed.

 

I hobbled down that 4 mile long hallway (give or take) and took the elevator down to 7 and made it back to my cabin. After popping a couple of ibuprofen I sat there hoping I wasn't in need of medical attention. Time will tell. "Is this trip cursed?" I wondered.

 

A few hours later after resting my foot I decided it wasn’t broken, just bruised. Rather like my ego. I could walk on it, and while it was a bit sore, it wasn't bruising or swelling much. (See? I keep my promises. Told you you'd get more HIPAA details!)

 

My son was feeling better, too, so we went to dinner a little later than normal and sat in a different section. The waiters were nice enough, but didn’t take any time for chit chat. They’re busy. I know. We ordered our typical shrimp cocktails and they were as good as ever. I ordered the braised beef shortrib and #theboy ordered New York strip, which he typically loves. He asked for his steak to be cooked medium, and I asked the waiter if it would come out a true medium, or should he order medium rare just to make sure it was pink enough? (So many places over cook the meat, so wherever I am, land or sea, I typically order slightly under what I want and it arrives exactly to my liking.) The waiter assured us we could expect a true medium. WRONG. This was shoe leather. Dry, tasteless and not a speck of pink to be found. Actually it could NOT have been worse. I kindly asked for another piece of meat as this was WAY overdone. They brought another that, had I not been aware of what my son ordered, I would have assumed was a grilled chicken breast. Not a NY strip. It was definitely cooked with a little more pink, but it was just ugly. Not appetizing in the least, and my son sheepishly told me he didn’t want to eat it. Of course I told him he didn’t have to, and we then asked the waiters for just a plate of shrimp for him. We knew that was safe and would be enjoyable. They were kind enough to bring him 16 shrimp to fill his belly. My shortrib wasn’t terrible, but was underdone. I ate as much as I could, stole the baked potato off my son’s plate, and by the time we left we had managed to scrounge enough food to leave full.

 

After dinner #theboy once again decided to check out the teen’s club, but not finding anyone he wanted to hang with, he came back to the cabin. I went to the champagne bar for an adult beverage, brought it back to the cabin, and opened my book. The plan was to go to the 70s music party on the Promenade at 10:15 with our friends from back home that we'd just learned were on board, but we were tuckered and decided to just hit the hay.

[sharse]

Kind of a random question, but what side of the ship was your balcony on? On Allure, most of the time, port side faces the port and Starboard faces the dock, although not all of the time. Nothing beats sitting out on the balcony and enjoying the scenery (and wildlife!) thanks again for the review, I too love your writing style and can’t wait to read more!

 

Thank you for your kind words. We were 7 Port aft. Cabin 7306. I actually chose the port side because every time Ive seen Allure docked in Nassau, it was docked straight in. In Cozumel, we backed in. In Roatan we backed in. And in Costa Maya I'm not sure which way we docked, but in all ports I had a lovely view of the ocean!

[Slugsta]

I am really enjoying your review. Thank you for explaining HIPAA, as a Brit this was new to me :)

[CreativeCruiser119]

Thank you for your kind words. We were 7 Port aft. Cabin 7306. I actually chose the port side because every time Ive seen Allure docked in Nassau, it was docked straight in. In Cozumel, we backed in. In Roatan we backed in. And in Costa Maya I'm not sure which way we docked, but in all ports I had a lovely view of the ocean!

 

 

 

That’s a great location! On Allure in 2015, my parents had 8706 which is the mirror image of 7306 and one deck up. My brother and I were across the hall in a Boardwalk balcony but would go across the hall and watch the ship dock and depart. Usually, Oasis class ships dock on the starboard side due to design, but will occasionally dock port side when the lifeboats on the starboard side need to be tested. My parents always get an oceanview balcony with my brother and I either next door or across the hall, and have stayed on both sides on Oasis class ships and each side has its own advantages! Overall I think you had a great cabin, close to Central Park with a great view! Glad you liked it, and Allure! I loved that ship!

 

 

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[CreativeCruiser119]

That’s a great location! On Allure in 2015, my parents had 8706 which is the mirror image of 7306 and one deck up. My brother and I were across the hall in a Boardwalk balcony but would go across the hall and watch the ship arrive and depart, and also just spend time out there watching the ocean. Usually, Oasis class ships dock on the starboard side due to design, but will occasionally dock port side when the lifeboats on the starboard side need to be tested. My parents always get an oceanview balcony with my brother and I either next door or across the hall, and have stayed on both sides on Oasis class ships and each side has its own advantages! Overall I think you had a great cabin, close to Central Park with a great view! Glad you liked it, and Allure! I loved that ship!

 

 

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ETA: if I recall correctly, during my Allure cruise, the starboard side faced the dock in all ports on our Western itinerary with the exception of Fort Lauderdale, where they supposedly dock port side once a month for reasons I am unsure of. Never did get around to watching the pier runners though!

 

 

 

 

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[Mermaid-ooxx]

Great review so far!

[Mickey_Maniac]

Following

 

 

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[hucifer]

This from the Master review writer! I'm not worthy! But thank you.

Oh, don't be silly. [waves hand dismissively]

Girl, you are HILARIOUS.

 

He had a fever according to the tried-and-true (if not terribly exact) method of mom's lips to child's forehead.

I do believe that is WebMD's preferred method of choice for fever measurement.

[hucifer]

It’s wonderful to have them snuggle or hug me. My youngest is a wonderful 34 year old with a child of his own and will still sit next to me and make me feel loved.

 

I absolutely love this, omg.

 

Spilled half my frozen mojito in the process. Now I was pissed.

As you had every reason to be. Did you write a strongly written letter to RCI?

[Milwaukee Eight]

Day 4 and still no unwanted guest?

 

 

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[sharse]

Oh, don't be silly. [waves hand dismissively]

Girl, you are HILARIOUS.

 

 

I do believe that is WebMD's preferred method of choice for fever measurement.

 

*chestbump*

 

[Looks around to make sure nobody saw how awkward that actually turned out to be]

[sharse]

Day 4 and still no unwanted guest?

 

 

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***sssshhhhh... don't tell anyone, but the guest finally shows up on day 6 in the morning.***