Live on Mariner of the Seas, it’s been Years in the Making — October 3rd to 8th, 2022.

[A&L_Ont]

So what is next for us?  It can certainly say that it will be the opposite of this sailing.  
 

Have you ever cruised over the holidays?  We have not, that is until this year.  We will be packing our bags for Harmony of the Seas, departing December 31, 2022.  

 

We hope to see you in a few months for the next adventure, and until then take care.
 

[Ourusualbeach]

6 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

So what is next for us?  It can certainly say that it will be the opposite of this sailing.  
 

Have you ever cruised over the holidays?  We have not, that is until this year.  We will be packing our bags for Harmony of the Seas, departing December 31, 2022.  

 

We hope to see you in a few months for the next adventure, and until then take care.
 

I hope you enjoy your holiday sailing as much as we do, not really that much different than the March break cruises in terms of kids on board so I know you are used to that.

 

It's been a while since we've done a NYE sailing as we are mostly Christmas week tjr way it eorks eith the schedukes and Vikki having to be back to work..  We will be heading home from a week on Wonder as you board Harmony. 

Edited October 10, 2022 by Ourusualbeach

[A&L_Ont]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I hope you enjoy your holiday sailing as much as we do, not really that much different than the March break cruises in terms of kids on board so I know you are used to that.

 

I always swore that we would never sail of the Christmas and NYE holidays, mainly because of the cost and how it fell around school for Owen. Also throw in Christmas with the families. 
 

Well, last year I had the milestone birthday of my 50th.  That happens to be December 31st. I would have liked to have done it last year but it was not in the cards. However, this year it works between work, school break and Owen’s hockey. 

 

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

We will be heading home from a week on Wonder as you board Harmony. 

We are flying down a few days early, the 28th I think.  We will wave to you as you sail back into port. 

[Ocean Boy]

47 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

For port days, we thoroughly enjoyed our beach days at Labadee and Coco Cay.  The lunch buffet at Barefoot has lessened in items.  We noted ribs, minute steaks, and shrimp skewers were missing but the quality was the same as before.  They did have a watermelon and feta salad which was new to us and very tasty. Our cabana host Horby was the best we had experienced in all the times we had been there.

 

Here’s Horby.

 

 

Coco Cay and the Beach Club was over the top.  Our host Sherie left us wanting for nothing more.  She too was a ninja. The drink and food was never ending.  She has 2 months left on her contract at Coco Cay.  
 

Pervious to this she was stationed at Labadee, as a staff member who lived on site. She was one of 15 there full time. She was there in March of 2020 when things came to a halt.  She had 2 months left in her contact, but she didn’t leave Labadee until October of 2020.  She described to us many of their dilemmas, the biggest being food shortages, to rationing food, to food deliveries being hijacked, to purchasing food from locals.  Then there was fuel shortages, to no fuel.  Even her departure off the island of Haiti, with 2 other South Africans, was an adventure that didn’t go as planned.  
 

During her numerous stops we talked about the operations of both islands and we fully appreciated her experience.  We always say Labadee is the Disney version of Haiti, but things changed quickly for those there in the spring of 2020. Everyone experienced the beginning of the pandemic differently, but we got to hear a first hand experience of what it was like in Labadee. 
 

Sherie from South Africa. 
 

 

 

We would also note with only one ship in port, it was quiet there.  Chairs were available everywhere across the island.

Did she talk at all about what they do on days when no ships are there? Do they ever leave the compound? What do they do in the evening when the ships leave?

 

Does Coco Cay have a staff that lives there?

[TravelGirlinDallas]

37 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

So what is next for us?  It can certainly say that it will be the opposite of this sailing.  
 

Have you ever cruised over the holidays?  We have not, that is until this year.  We will be packing our bags for Harmony of the Seas, departing December 31, 2022.  

 

We hope to see you in a few months for the next adventure, and until then take care.
 

Thanks for taking us along! Hope you enjoy your holiday cruise! 

[Coralc]

Fascinating photo of Detroit and Canada! I never realized that Detroit was that close to Canada. I always thought it was in the Midwest somewhere. But geography was always my worst subject. 

 

Thanks for the wonderful review. I am so glad you both had a nice time. And we all love the pin-up boy photo. 😀

[Ozark_Kid]

Thankful you made it home safe.   I really enjoyed you taking us along.   Thanks. 

[h20skibum]

Thanks for the great review.  We would have been boarding Harmony after you got off, but that is another of those cruises we had to cancel.  Will be following along on that one.

[ecslady]

Thanks for taking the time to do your live review.  Enjoy the New Year's Eve cruise!

[scottygirl]

11 hours ago, Coralc said:

Fascinating photo of Detroit and Canada! I never realized that Detroit was that close to Canada. I always thought it was in the Midwest somewhere. But geography was always my worst subject. 

 

Thanks for the wonderful review. I am so glad you both had a nice time. And we all love the pin-up boy photo. 😀

Michigan is in the Midwest  😉

[2chiefs]

Yabba Dabba Doo!  Thanks for the review!!

[jmh2006]

Andrew, we have done two Christmas thru NYE cruises and have thoroughly enjoyed them!  I am sure you will too!  Also, very interesting stories from your cabana attendants on Coco Cay and Labadee.  Last night at dinner with my DS, who is 24, we were discussing Haiti.  In 2014, when he was a Junior in HS, he participated on a mission trip to Haiti with a local church group.  It was quite a wonderful experience for him and he told us how sad he is that they can no longer go there anymore.  This was brought up as he follows a Youtuber that travels to destinations which are less than ideal, and when the Youtuber was in Haiti he was unable to travel from Port-au-Prince to Cap Haitien.   

[A&L_Ont]

8 minutes ago, jmh2006 said:

Andrew, we have done two Christmas thru NYE cruises and have thoroughly enjoyed them! 

 

It should be interesting and a lot of fun. 

 

8 minutes ago, jmh2006 said:

 Also, very interesting stories from your cabana attendants on Coco Cay and Labadee.  Last night at dinner with my DS, who is 24, we were discussing Haiti.  In 2014, when he was a Junior in HS, he participated on a mission trip to Haiti with a local church group.  It was quite a wonderful experience for him and he told us how sad he is that they can no longer go there anymore.  This was brought up as he follows a Youtuber that travels to destinations which are less than ideal, and when the Youtuber was in Haiti he was unable to travel from Port-au-Prince to Cap Haitien.   

We know local contractors that would travel with their church to help a children’s mission up the the mountains. They stopped going around 20 years ago when they said it became unsafe. Previously they said the could hear the guns shooting as they left Port-au-Prince in the back of pick-ups as they left the town with the goods that they brought with them. Hard to fathom what it would be like now. 

[Sea Dog]

Thanks Andrew for the great review and taking us along on your adventure. Mariner is one ship that I have wanted to sail on. So glad your first cruise post pandemic went so well. It's only going to get better from here on. I can't wait to hear about your holiday cruise. I have thought about doing one but not sure yet. Until next time, Cheers!

[A&L_Ont]

13 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Did she talk at all about what they do on days when no ships are there? Do they ever leave the compound? What do they do in the evening when the ships leave?

 

Does Coco Cay have a staff that lives there?

We didn’t talk about their living situation at Labadee, we talked more about the experience there during Covid.  They had dogs in in the crew compound and when the dog food ran out their rations then helped to feed the dogs.  At the beginning the ships still dropped food for them but as the ships stopped their food stopped coming. They then had a $17,000 food delivery coming in by freighter to Port-au-Prince, and the truck that was bringing it to them was hijacked as it was being delivered.  It took 6 weeks to arrange the first load and be delivered. They then did another shipment which took another 6 weeks. The second load made it, and I commented probably with armed guards. After the ships stopped coming and between those loads is when they did dealings with locals for veggies, fruits and chicken. My cynicism tends to think that the driver of the first load might have been on it’s hijacking but that’s a me thing.
 

Sherrie worked at Labadee starting in 2018, for a few contracts, and always got there and back by cruise ship.  She left in October 2020 by plane out of Cap Hatian.  Most of the staff are local, with a few from further away living on site, as well as crew from the ship. We didn’t talk about normal daily life there pre-Covid.  When it hit they packed everything away and fuel was used very sparingly. Basically only for necessities. All said and done, when she was offered a position at Coco Cay she was more than happy to return to RC. 
 

I can share what I know about Coco Cay. She said that there is pretty much a ship there everyday, if not two. At the end of the day she has 1.5 hours of work to prepare for the next day. She also said there was back of the house work as well that all crew do. The chiefs work on rotation from the guest areas to the crew kitchens. It gives them a mix. It sounds like nights are for rest. 
 

In the summer of 2019 the crew from Bahamas would work 3 weeks on, then 3 weeks off. I’m not sure if that has changed since Covid. I can’t say if it is that way for the locals now because of Covid, but one might think new people coming and going could open the door for greater risk of sickness.  Because of how far Sherrie travelled to be there, she has a 6 month contract. For her it is longer because of work Visas etc…. but it could be longer for all now.  Staff live on the island as well as come from the ship. Some local guides who run excursions do boat over from their homes. 
 

I’m curious enough to ask and she was polite enough to answer.  It helps to give me, a guest, a greater appreciation of daily life through her experiences. Hope this helps answer any questions. 

As for living Coco Cay here are the staff living quarters at Coco Cay. A Google search didn’t bring up anything about living quarters for staff at Labadee. 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 10, 2022 by A&L_Ont

[Ocean Boy]

8 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

We didn’t talk about their living situation at Labadee, we talked more about the experience there during Covid.  They had dogs in in the crew compound and when the dog food ran out their rations then helped to feed the dogs.  At the beginning the ships still dropped food for them but as the ships stopped their food stopped coming. They then had a $17,000 food delivery coming in by freighter to Port-au-Prince, and the truck that was bringing it to them was hijacked as it was being delivered.  It took 6 weeks to arrange the first load and be delivered. They then did another shipment which took another 6 weeks. The second load made it, and I commented probably with armed guards. After the ships stopped coming and between those loads is when they did dealings with locals for veggies, fruits and chicken. My cynicism tends to think that the driver of the first load might have been on it’s hijacking but that’s a me thing.
 

Sherrie worked at Labadee starting in 2018, for a few contracts, and always got there and back by cruise ship.  She left in October 2020 by plane out of Cap Hatian.  Most of the staff are local, with a few from further away living on site, as well as crew from the ship. We didn’t talk about normal daily life there pre-Covid.  When it hit they packed everything away and fuel was used very sparingly. Basically only for necessities. All said and done, when she was offered a position at Coco Cay she was more than happy to return to RC. 
 

I can share what I know about Coco Cay. She said that there is pretty much a ship there everyday, if not two. At the end of the day she has 1.5 hours of work to prepare for the next day. She also said there was back of the house work as well that all crew do. The chiefs work on rotation from the guest areas to the crew kitchens. It gives them a mix. It sounds like nights are for rest. 
 

In the summer of 2019 the crew from Bahamas would work 3 weeks on, then 3 weeks off. I’m not sure if that has changed since Covid. I can’t say if it is that way for the locals now because of Covid, but one might think new people coming and going could open the door for greater risk of sickness.  Because of how far Sherrie travelled to be there, she has a 6 month contract. For her it is longer because of work Visas etc…. but it could be longer for all now.  Staff live on the island as well as come from the ship. Some local guides who run excursions do boat over from their homes. 
 

I’m curious enough to ask and she was polite enough to answer.  It helps to give me, a guest, a greater appreciation of daily life through her experiences. Hope this helps answer any questions. 

As for living Coco Cay here are the staff living quarters at Coco Cay. A Google search didn’t bring up anything about living quarters for staff at Labadee. 

 

 

 

 

Thank you!

[bobmacliberty]

17 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

I’m not sure why they thought putting a phone beside the toilet was a good idea?  If it rang while you were sitting on it, it could scare the crap out of you.  Well, I guess you are on the toilet…

 

Edit, that isn’t a cup holder over the bidet?  Certainly, it can’t be? 🤷‍♂️

 

 

I had a similar thought about the bathroom phone in our Ovation GS. It was mounted on the wall in a corner, not near the toilet or either sink?  Why?  Even if it rang and scared the crap out of you, there’s no way you could answer it. 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

Thanks for another great review. I’m looking forward to reading about your holiday experience onboard. 

[TravelGirlinDallas]

17 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

 

I had always imagined bidets having an upward flow in order to provide a direct hit to the intended area. Then in various hotels in Italy, I encountered them in real life for the first time. They had the horizontal stream like this one on the ship. We tried to use them (when in Rome - literally - and all that) but it was super-awkward and we eventually gave up. 😄 

[bobmacliberty]

53 minutes ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

I had always imagined bidets having an upward flow in order to provide a direct hit to the intended area. Then in various hotels in Italy, I encountered them in real life for the first time. They had the horizontal stream like this one on the ship. We tried to use them (when in Rome - literally - and all that) but it was super-awkward and we eventually gave up. 😄 

I think there are two styles, an up flow and a horizontal flow. Depends where in the world you go…pun intended. 

[John&LaLa]

On 10/10/2022 at 9:22 AM, scottygirl said:

Michigan is in the Midwest  😉

 

That never made sense to me. Iowa, Kansas and Missouri are midwest to me.

 

But I guess Ohio is midwest as well

[John&LaLa]

21 hours ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

I had always imagined bidets having an upward flow in order to provide a direct hit to the intended area. Then in various hotels in Italy, I encountered them in real life for the first time. They had the horizontal stream like this one on the ship. We tried to use them (when in Rome - literally - and all that) but it was super-awkward and we eventually gave up. 😄 

 

Not a fan of that faucet style. Ours was an upflow. So civilized.

[Ocean Boy]

8 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

That never made sense to me. Iowa, Kansas and Missouri are midwest to me.

 

But I guess Ohio is midwest as well

They should have made the distinction easier... if no part of the state has a direct connection to the Atlantic or Pacific oceans then it is mid west.😁

[bobmacliberty]

7 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

They should have made the distinction easier... if no part of the state has a direct connection to the Atlantic or Pacific oceans then it is mid west.😁

Reminds me of this famous New Yorker Magazine cover showing a New Yorker’s view of the country. 

[ReneeFLL]

On 10/9/2022 at 1:53 PM, A&L_Ont said:

@Ocean Boy I think I know the one your mentioning. This one here.  I’d love to explore them all. 

 

 

Thanks to Google I found this picture. 

 

 

Looks like they didn’t see the lighthouse. 😳

[NHProud]

On 10/5/2022 at 12:07 PM, Ocean Boy said:

I'll tell you the first thing I noticed is those utensils are laying right on the table top. That is a big no no in my book. I have seen how tables are wiped down. Everything I use gets placed on a napkin.

I thought I was the only one who cared .  Trying to catch up here . 
 

 

Edited October 13, 2022 by NHProud