Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[A&L_Ont]

@Ocean Boy the light house comes in at the 9 minute mark. 
 

 

[A&L_Ont]

Owen’s Provincial baseball ball tourney happened this weekend. His team finished in the top 10 for the province, especially while playing up a level at B VS C. Not bad considering the year they had. 
 

Thankfully the tourney was 1.5 hours from home and the wedding we had to go to was 1 hour from the ball diamonds. 

Edited August 18 by A&L_Ont

[MancGirl21]

14 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

After a lovely sunny Saturday in Sydney yesterday, it was a bit drizzly today but we still enjoyed the walk from Palm Beach to Avalon Beach with a side detour to do the loop walk at Bengally Headland.    
 

First beach after Palm Beach -

Whale Beach

Some colour along the way

Views from the  headland loop walk.  Normally you can look back towards Palm Beach but it was obscured by the drizzle.  Out to sea view instead.

It was lovely walking through the headland, after the Heath there was lots of wildflowers in bloom.

 

Then we walked down to the southern end of Avalon Beach.

 

Only surfers in the water today.

Avalon Beach

 

We finished  off with a healthy lunch at Avalon. For me - three different  Goodness balls - falafel, beetroot and  brown rice.
 

 

 

 

It’s lovely to see the pictures of Avalon, that is where my aunt lived. She moved there from the UK in the 90’s, my cousins her daughters had already emigrated there before her. I have never been but my mum went to visit her sister a few times.

[Momof3gurlz]

Yesterday our two granddaughters came over and we had a pool day, then the girls spent the night for a cousin sleepover.  After the sunset we had a marshmallow roast and made s’more.  Today we all went up to our daughter’s house in Mass.  My SIL cooked a hibachi style meal on his griddle including the flaming onion volcano.  Tomorrow we had planned to go to an adventure park (think ropes courses and zip lining) in CT but it looks like rain in the forecast so we’re going to an aquarium instead.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

We. Are. Exhausted. 😵‍💫

 

Edited August 18 by Momof3gurlz

[akcruz]

12 minutes ago, Momof3gurlz said:

 

 

 

We. Are. Exhausted

 

Great picture of all the grands.  You are due for a nice frosty cocktail 😁

[aussielozzie18]

53 minutes ago, MancGirl21 said:

It’s lovely to see the pictures of Avalon, that is where my aunt lived. She moved there from the UK in the 90’s, my cousins her daughters had already emigrated there before her. I have never been but my mum went to visit her sister a few times.

Your Aunt chose a lovely place to live on the Northern Beaches.  My parents are both from England.  They met on the ship  travelling from England to Australia when they were in their late 20s.  They lived in Manly first then moved further up the Peninsula to live.

[aussielozzie18]

@Momof3gurlz Lovely photo of you and your gorgeous grandkids.

 

I will have to look up an onion volcano.  Not heard of that before.

[h20skibum]

31 minutes ago, Momof3gurlz said:

We. Are. Exhausted. 😵‍💫

I know that feeling. 😏

[bobmacliberty]

21 minutes ago, aussielozzie18 said:

@Momof3gurlz Lovely photo of you and your gorgeous grandkids.

 

I will have to look up an onion volcano.  Not heard of that before.

It’s a standard part of the Hibachi experience in the US. 

 

[MancGirl21]

22 minutes ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Your Aunt chose a lovely place to live on the Northern Beaches.  My parents are both from England.  They met on the ship  travelling from England to Australia when they were in their late 20s.  They lived in Manly first then moved further up the Peninsula to live.

That’s such a lovely story of how they met. My aunt is no longer with us, but one of her daughters still lives in the same house. I was looking at photos recently of mum’s trips there and she went to some beautiful places.

[Luckynana]

1 hour ago, A&L_Ont said:

Owen’s Provincial baseball ball tourney happened this weekend. His team finished in the top 10 for the province, especially while playing up a level at B VS C. Not bad considering the year they had. 
 

Thankfully the tourney was 1.5 hours from home and the wedding we had to go to was 1 hour from the ball diamonds. 

Congratulations to Owen and his team!

 

Beautiful picture of the Bride and Groom.  Her gown is gorgeous!

[Luckynana]

1 hour ago, Momof3gurlz said:

Yesterday our two granddaughters came over and we had a pool day, then the girls spent the night for a cousin sleepover.  

 

We. Are. Exhausted. 😵‍💫

 

Your grandchildren are all so beautiful, Deb!  The baby is precious!!! So little!❤️

[Luckynana]

 

@sgmn  Sorry to hear that your work colleague passed away at such a young age, Sue.😔

May he Rest in Peace.🙏

 

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, Momof3gurlz said:

Yesterday our two granddaughters came over and we had a pool day, then the girls spent the night for a cousin sleepover.  After the sunset we had a marshmallow roast and made s’more.  Today we all went up to our daughter’s house in Mass.  My SIL cooked a hibachi style meal on his griddle including the flaming onion volcano.  Tomorrow we had planned to go to an adventure park (think ropes courses and zip lining) in CT but it looks like rain in the forecast so we’re going to an aquarium instead.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

We. Are. Exhausted. 😵‍💫

 

Looks like lots of fun and great memories being made by all.

Beautiful family😊

Edited August 19 by Sunshine3601

[Luckynana]

 

@DaniDanielle  Happy Birthday wishes to your granddaughter today, Marietta!🎈 I hope she enjoyed her special day!

 

How is your granddaughter who was hospitalized?  I do hope she is much, much better.

 

Marietta, have you been following the Little League Baseball World Series since last week?  I'm so proud of our South Shore Little League team.  They've won the past two games since losing their first game in the double elimination.  They play again this Tuesday, I believe!    

[jmh2006]

1 hour ago, Momof3gurlz said:

Yesterday our two granddaughters came over and we had a pool day, then the girls spent the night for a cousin sleepover.  After the sunset we had a marshmallow roast and made s’more.  Today we all went up to our daughter’s house in Mass.  My SIL cooked a hibachi style meal on his griddle including the flaming onion volcano.  Tomorrow we had planned to go to an adventure park (think ropes courses and zip lining) in CT but it looks like rain in the forecast so we’re going to an aquarium instead.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

We. Are. Exhausted. 😵‍💫

 

What a fun day you had!  The picture is so cute!!!

[jmh2006]

5 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

@Ocean Boy the light house comes in at the 9 minute mark. 
 

 

Thanks for posting this video Andrew!  I learned something new about Michigan lighthouses.  If you ever go to the other side of the state near Glen Arbor there is a nice preserved lifesaving station!  Michigan is the state for lighthouses!

[HBE4]

All caught up, in both real life & CC life.  With several back-to-back trips including an 8 night cruise on Adventure, pre- and post- cruise vacations in Florida and a trip to the Adirondacks in upstate NY, it feels like I’ve barely been home for the past month.

 

So let me get right to it.  The cruise was amazing, it was exactly what I needed & this particular trip was the perfect way for me to jump back into cruising for the first time in 6 years. It was a very different experience. Quick background: 6 of my friends (3 couples – 2 from Florida, 1 from NY) booked this cruise over a year ago and have been urging me to join them. They finally wore me down and this May, I was able to snag one of the last few cabins. This was also organized as a “friends and family cruise” as the organizer extended the invite far beyond me. So it included the families of my 6 friends (many of which I knew) and the friends & co-workers of those families and so on.  Very Bella 2.0- like in that respect, a group cruise made of many groups, 77 people to be exact.  In short, I was not only able to reacquaint myself with old friends but met many new people and made a few new friendships along the way. There was a group of retired NY law enforcement officers that warmly & sincerely welcomed me into their fold and made me feel like I was one of their brotherhood. By the 8^th day, I felt like I’ve know those guys and their wives for 20 years.  Another person I was reacquainted with was the aunt of one of my friends, 78 going on 38, and has a true zest for life. She lost her husband of 52 years just last year & this was her first trip without him. We instantly bonded and became each other’s grief support group.

 

I had a 10:30 check time & was one of the first on the ship. As soon as I stepped onto the ship, a flood of emotions hit me at once.  The first one was a sense of familiarity, stepping into the Royal Promenade and everything was just as it was (except for a misplaced Izumi). It didn’t seem like it’s been 6 years, maybe a year or two at the most.  Nostalgia was the next emotion followed quickly by a melancholy and mellow feeling.  That lasted for a few hours but then was replaced with excitement and anticipation once I met up with old friends and made new ones.  And that was the pattern of each day: starting on my own for a few hours & then meeting up with whomever for lunch, pool time, dinner & excursions, etc.  The perfect balance of cruising solo and with a group(s).  I never once turned my computer to watch Netflix or read any of the 3 books I purchased.  Regretfully, I never even opened the diary where I was going to record the day’s events.  But I will try to post a separate brief summary of the cruise itself.

 

*whew*, that was a lot of typing.

 

Edited August 19 by HBE4

[akcruz]

6 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

All caught up, in both real life & CC life.  With several back-to-back trips including an 8 night cruise on Adventure, pre- and post- cruise vacations in Florida and a trip to the Adirondacks in upstate NY, it feels like I’ve barely been home for the past month.

 

So let me get right to it.  The cruise was amazing, it was exactly what I needed & this particular trip was the perfect way for me to jump back into cruising for the first time in 6 years. It was a very different experience. Quick background: 6 of my friends (3 couples – 2 from Florida, 1 from NY) booked this cruise over a year ago and have been urging me to join them. They finally wore me down and this May, I was able to snag one of the last few cabins. This was also organized as a “friends and family cruise” as the organizer extended the invite far beyond me. So it included the families of my 6 friends (many of which I knew) and the friends & co-workers of those families and so on.  Very Bella 2.0- like in that respect, a group cruise made of many groups, 77 people to be exact.  In short, I was not only able to reacquaint myself with old friends but met many new people and made a few new friendships along the way. There was a group of retired NY law enforcement officers that warmly & sincerely welcomed me into their fold and made me feel like I was one of their brotherhood. By the 8^th day, I felt like I’ve know those guys and their wives for 20 years.  Another person I was reacquainted with was the aunt of one of my friends, 78 going on 38, and has a true zest for life. She lost her husband of 52 years just last year & this was her first trip without him. We instantly bonded and became each other’s grief support group.

 

I had a 10:30 check time & was one of the first on the ship. As soon as I stepped onto the ship, a flood of emotions hit me at once.  The first one was a sense of familiarity, stepping into the Royal Promenade and everything was just as it was (except for a misplaced Izumi). It didn’t seem like it’s been 6 years, maybe a year or two at the most.  Nostalgia was the next emotion followed quickly by a melancholy and mellow feeling.  That lasted for a few hours but then was replaced with excitement and anticipation once I met up with old friends and made new ones.  And that was the pattern of each day: starting on my own for a few hours & then meeting up with whomever for lunch, pool time, dinner & excursions, etc.  The perfect balance of cruising solo and with a group(s).  I never once turned my computer to watch Netflix or read any of the 3 books I purchased.  Regretfully, I never even opened the diary where I was going to record the day’s events.  But I will try to post a separate brief summary of the cruise itself.

 

*whew*, that was a lot of typing.

 

 

So happy to hear your trip was a success, looking forward to hearing more of whatever you want to share.  Good prep for Bella 2, getting closer every day.

[HBE4]

This was my first time on Adventure of the Seas but was very familiar with the layout as I’ve sailed her bigger sister Liberty (a sentimental favorite of mine) many times.   The size difference felt noticeable. The Royal Promenade felt more crowded at all times as did the combined Café Promenade/Sorrento’s pizza. I like the fact that they are now 2 separate places on the bigger & newer ships. The combined main pool & kids pool also felt smaller and more crowded than I remember on the bigger sisters.

 

 Overall, the condition of the ship is that it’s in “pretty good” shape, although there are a few maintenance issues. I accidentally locked myself on the balcony one time. It seems the exterior latch on the balcony door does not line up perfectly with the interior latch so there is some wiggle room.  I had to jiggle the outside handle pretty aggressive for a few minutes before it finally unlocked. I reported it but it was never fixed during my time on the ship. The toilet quit working for a few hours, which I learned after using it.  Various parts of the ship felt uncomfortably hot, including the Schooner Bar one evening.    So hot, a few people left due to feeling faint. I heard some of the doors to the outside were “stuck” open throwing off the AC system but if that was the case, they must’ve been stuck open for days or would get stuck open every day. But overall, the ship was very clean and still beautiful although some in my group felt the interior is a bit dated when compared to the newer ships. To me, it felt comfortable & “at home”.  And I’m told the ship will be going into dry-dock in a few months so hopefully those maintenance items will be addressed.

 

Ate dinner in the MDR 6 nights, WJ 1 night and Johnny Rockets 1 night.  All the food was good & I was not disappointed in any of items. Even Sorrento’s pizza was fine, which I ate most nights for a late night snack. No problem with menu selections either, there always seemed to be something for anyone.  Oh, and since when has Johnny Rockets shakes been part of the deluxe beverage package? I remember them being excluded.

 

Production show were the basic, old school Royal production shows. No high tech lighting, drones, high wire acts or Broadway shows. Having said that, most were enjoyable and the singer and dancers all were excellent. They also had a hypnotist act which was hilarious. One of the two comedians was not very funny but comedy can be subjective. And all the usual Royal standards were there: Love and Marriage, the guitar player in the English pub and piano player in Schooners, all were excellent. It was refreshing to see they added 80’s and 90’s Dance party to the standard 70’s dance party they’ve been doing forever. Based on what I saw, the 80’s dance party was the biggest hit. Generational shift, maybe?

 

Aruba: Morning beach break with the gang, followed by a nap on the ship & then wandered around downtown for a few hours on my own, visiting a few spots that were favorites of DW. Curacao: did the Cave tour & Walking Tour of downtown. I thought I was doing it on my own but it turns out, some of my “new” friends had also booked it. Perfect Day at CoCo Cay was not perfect: 3 separate rain storms passed thru but we were able to get some pool time in at the Oasis pool and swim-up bar. Food on the island was also very good, lightyears better than anything Labadee had to offer. Apparently, the secret special chicken sandwich is not a secret at all.

 

That’s all I can think of right now. With the cruise under my belt, I can turn my attention to Bella 2.0. Oh, and the Alaskan cruise on Princess next June that I just booked. 🙂  That will be my first non-Royal Caribbean cruise as well as my first non-Caribbean cruise too. Expanding my horizons!

Edited August 19 by HBE4

[HBE4]

@Sea Dog

I tried my best. 

 

 

 

How about this for a different perspective?

 

 

[HBE4]

I've actually never seen in action how the lines are brought to the pier. 

 

 

 

 

 

[HBE4]

Last post. There was a discussion a while back about plastic zip ties on balcony chairs that prevented them from reclining. At the time, I thought,  as did several others,  that maybe they were used to prevent the chairs from opening up during shipping  & were accidentally left on. 

 

Well, this is not a new ship & these chairs are definitely not new but they had the zip ties. 

 

[George C]

Just got home after a great concert, Christopher Cross , he had a fantastic band and backup singers , he did his big hits including one of my favorites “Sailing” . Concert was downtown Dallas In restaurant before cruise we could see many upscale people walking there dogs and many homeless, we had lots of pizza left over and it took less than a minute to find one very happy to take our leftovers. 

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

This was my first time on Adventure of the Seas but was very familiar with the layout as I’ve sailed her bigger sister Liberty (a sentimental favorite of mine) many times.   The size difference felt noticeable. The Royal Promenade felt more crowded at all times as did the combined Café Promenade/Sorrento’s pizza. I like the fact that they are now 2 separate places on the bigger & newer ships. The combined main pool & kids pool also felt smaller and more crowded than I remember on the bigger sisters.

 

 Overall, the condition of the ship is that it’s in “pretty good” shape, although there are a few maintenance issues. I accidentally locked myself on the balcony one time. It seems the exterior latch on the balcony door does not line up perfectly with the interior latch so there is some wiggle room.  I had to jiggle the outside handle pretty aggressive for a few minutes before it finally unlocked. I reported it but it was never fixed during my time on the ship. The toilet quit working for a few hours, which I learned after using it.  Various parts of the ship felt uncomfortably hot, including the Schooner Bar one evening.    So hot, a few people left due to feeling faint. I heard some of the doors to the outside were “stuck” open throwing off the AC system but if that was the case, they must’ve been stuck open for days or would get stuck open every day. But overall, the ship was very clean and still beautiful although some in my group felt the interior is a bit dated when compared to the newer ships. To me, it felt comfortable & “at home”.  And I’m told the ship will be going into dry-dock in a few months so hopefully those maintenance items will be addressed.

 

Ate dinner in the MDR 6 nights, WJ 1 night and Johnny Rockets 1 night.  All the food was good & I was not disappointed in any of items. Even Sorrento’s pizza was fine, which I ate most nights for a late night snack. No problem with menu selections either, there always seemed to be something for anyone.  Oh, and since when has Johnny Rockets shakes been part of the deluxe beverage package? I remember them being excluded.

 

Production show were the basic, old school Royal production shows. No high tech lighting, drones, high wire acts or Broadway shows. Having said that, most were enjoyable and the singer and dancers all were excellent. They also had a hypnotist act which was hilarious. One of the two comedians was not very funny but comedy can be subjective. And all the usual Royal standards were there: Love and Marriage, the guitar player in the English pub and piano player in Schooners, all were excellent. It was refreshing to see they added 80’s and 90’s Dance party to the standard 70’s dance party they’ve been doing forever. Based on what I saw, the 80’s dance party was the biggest hit. Generational shift, maybe?

 

Aruba: Morning beach break with the gang, followed by a nap on the ship & then wandered around downtown for a few hours on my own, visiting a few spots that were favorites of DW. Curacao: did the Cave tour & Walking Tour of downtown. I thought I was doing it on my own but it turns out, some of my “new” friends had also booked it. Perfect Day at CoCo Cay was not perfect: 3 separate rain storms passed thru but we were able to get some pool time in at the Oasis pool and swim-up bar. Food on the island was also very good, lightyears better than anything Labadee had to offer. Apparently, the secret special chicken sandwich is not a secret at all.

 

That’s all I can think of right now. With the cruise under my belt, I can turn my attention to Bella 2.0. Oh, and the Alaskan cruise on Princess next June that I just booked. 🙂  That will be my first non-Royal Caribbean cruise as well as my first non-Caribbean cruise too. Expanding my horizons!

I'm assuming ABC islands? I have all 3 booked for next april on adventure. I have adventure booked for Bermuda 8 days in sept, and b2b in december with eastern, and whatever over xmas. DR in December will be new to me and we are supposed to hit labadee over xmas. So 4 on adventure booked. I also dont think I've been on adventure before so read your description with interest. I hadnt realized this was the class where pizza combined with the cafe though had it on another ship. Each one has a new port for me I havent been to. Booked for ports, rather than ship. DR on eastern new and bonaire on abc. You mentioned aruba and curacao but not Bonaire?