Live From IOS Transatlantic April 12-25!!!!

[flames]

Hi Everyone, now I have to play catch up as I have not been here since April 22:(

 

but I am still here because I want to know all about this cruise and who went to London and who went to Paris and where would you stay longer London or Paris:confused:

 

I am thinking of Paris;)

 

Now back to reading, I will post more tomorrow after I read all about your travels, and I will ask questions:eek:

Carol:)

[truffles2]

flames,

easy answer to your question:

but I am still here because I want to know all about this cruise and who went to London and who went to Paris and where would you stay longer London or Paris:confused:

 

For me, definitely London!

[snowbird1]

flames,

easy answer to your question:

but I am still here because I want to know all about this cruise and who went to London and who went to Paris and where would you stay longer London or Paris:confused:

 

For me, definitely London!

While I didn't go to Paris, I sure like London. I can say I liked the food better of course I know Paris is supposed to be know for food (if you know what you are ordering).

 

Carol, to be honest I have a good idea for you, one I almost pulled off myself but I waited too long. Pick your city (I have better knowledge of London and Mary and Lorna have info for Paris). Arrange you stay and then I would HIGHLY consider and Eurostar train ride to the other for a day or two visit. I almost went to Paris on my last day but I waited too long and the best fairs were gone. The trip takes 3 hours and many in London go there early in the morning and come back that night. That is right, I was thinking about the HOHO bus to see what I wanted in Paris and then head back withouts staying the night. Here is an idea, take the Ferry to France like we did and see the WWII stuff (lots of Canadian sites as well), then take the train to Paris like Lorna and Mary did. Stay there for a few days and then take the Eurostar to London for a few days and either fly back from there or take the train back to Paris and fly back. I bet you could get a open jaw airfare from somewhere if you looked. There are some ideas for you. Welcome back from wherever you went.

 

You could pre-plan all this like we did and make it work.

 

In closing if you have never been to London I think you would really like it, there is just so much to see. I am not you but I would go to London and take the Eurostar to Paris and stay one night and then come back to London and fly home from there. It works nicely with the ship docking in South Hampton. We could even give you the name of the service a lot of people used for the transfer. I used the train and had no problem.

[ladylawyer]

flames,

easy answer to your question:

but I am still here because I want to know all about this cruise and who went to London and who went to Paris and where would you stay longer London or Paris:confused:

 

For me, definitely London!

 

For me, definitely Paris!!! ;)

[flames]

For me, definitely Paris!!! ;)

 

Thank you Lorna, I will talk to you soon as I have a few questions to ask you:D

 

Carol:)

[flames]

While I didn't go to Paris, I sure like London. I can say I liked the food better of course I know Paris is supposed to be know for food (if you know what you are ordering).

 

Carol, to be honest I have a good idea for you, one I almost pulled off myself but I waited too long. Pick your city (I have better knowledge of London and Mary and Lorna have info for Paris). Arrange you stay and then I would HIGHLY consider and Eurostar train ride to the other for a day or two visit. I almost went to Paris on my last day but I waited too long and the best fairs were gone. The trip takes 3 hours and many in London go there early in the morning and come back that night. That is right, I was thinking about the HOHO bus to see what I wanted in Paris and then head back withouts staying the night. Here is an idea, take the Ferry to France like we did and see the WWII stuff (lots of Canadian sites as well), then take the train to Paris like Lorna and Mary did. Stay there for a few days and then take the Eurostar to London for a few days and either fly back from there or take the train back to Paris and fly back. I bet you could get a open jaw airfare from somewhere if you looked. There are some ideas for you. Welcome back from wherever you went.

 

You could pre-plan all this like we did and make it work.

 

In closing if you have never been to London I think you would really like it, there is just so much to see. I am not you but I would go to London and take the Eurostar to Paris and stay one night and then come back to London and fly home from there. It works nicely with the ship docking in South Hampton. We could even give you the name of the service a lot of people used for the transfer. I used the train and had no problem.

 

Vince, I am thinking of Paris, after all we are from Montreal, Quebec:D

 

Carol:)

[DanielleRB]

While I didn't go to Paris, I sure like London. I can say I liked the food better of course I know Paris is supposed to be know for food (if you know what you are ordering).

 

Carol, to be honest I have a good idea for you...Arrange you stay and then I would HIGHLY consider and Eurostar train ride to the other for a day or two visit. I almost went to Paris on my last day but I waited too long and the best fairs were gone. The trip takes 3 hours and many in London go there early in the morning and come back that night.

 

Carol,

 

What Vince suggested is exactly what we did as a family. We booked a hotel for 3 nights and 4 days in London and then on the 2nd day we hopped on a 7:52 a.m. Eurostar train ride to Paris - which took 2 hours (plus the 1 hour time difference, which we got back when we returned) - arriving at 11:17 a.m. - we prebooked a private car and driver since we had limited time for the day. He toured us around the city and was very knowledgable. Since it was Sunday, traffic was lighter than usual and we were able to see many of the most important monuments we wanted to. Later in the afternoon we went to Champs Elysees and shopped and then ate an early dinner at a street cafe...right out of the books!

 

Our driver took us back to the train station and we returned on a 7:30 p.m. train to London - we arrived back at 8:30 p.m. and were in the hotel room at 9:15 p.m.

 

It was a long day, but given our time constraints we had a blast. I think it was perfect for us - with an added bonus of having no luggage to deal with for a short jaunt.

 

Any other details you want to ask about, just ask!

 

Dani

[snowbird1]

Vince, I am thinking of Paris, after all we are from Montreal, Quebec:D

 

Carol:)

 

Ok, but remember you could still take the Eurostar to London for a day or so as well and go back to Paris, just a thought.

[mjldvlks]

I am so sorry that it has taken so long to post my review of this wonderful cruise!! I have promised a detailed review so I will be posting information over the next several days. Please let me know if you need additional details on anything I mention.

 

Pre-Cruise Preparation:

 

The Meet and Mingle thread for the IOS Transatlantic from Ft. Lauderdale to Southampton started about 18 months prior to the cruise. We had several that decided not to go based on changes to the itinerary back in early 2008. We decided to go to Normandy to tour the WWII sites on our own post cruise so made the decision to stay on this T.A. Over the year that we chatted on line - we met many great people and our numbers grew to close to 250 by cruise time. We planned many activities, including: pre-cruise dinner, first day meeting, Sailaway party, cruise critic lunch, sea pass holder class, cabin crawl, pub and poker crawl, miniature golf tournament, Veteran's meeting, gift exchange, slot pull, texas hold em tournament and book exchange.

 

Our pre-cruise preparation included the following:

1. We created a google group and posted pages of information about ports, itinerary, etc. (link to our google group is below if you need samples). Our group was wonderful about sharing information about transportation, tours, etc. We also posted information about hotels both pre and post cruise.

2. We purchased a case of mardi gras beads on line. A case contained 720 beads and was about $28.00. We handed out beads at first meeting.

3. We named our group the Transatlantic Fanatics. My girlfriend designed our logo, which included flags from all 9 countries represented by our group. We used Cafepress.com and designed t-shirts and other merchandise for group members to purchase. Cafepress is a great way to obtain shirts for the group without bearing the cost of making shirts and also getting them to the port. Each person was free to order shirts and other merchandise on their own. See the link in our signature below to view our design.

4. We created a google group where members could post information about ports, transportation, pictures, etc. We posted our itinerary as well as a general sign up as well as sign up lists for each activity.

5. We asked members to post information about themselves which formed the basis of a bio we put together with members pictures and the information they posted. We used this information later in a written quiz at the pub crawl. It was so nice to have a face and information about people prior to meeting them on board.

6. We made name tags for all group members using Avery Adhesive Badges that included the cruise critic name, first name, and state or country where they were from. I purchased foam "fish" stickers at Michaels and Hobby Lobby and put these on each name tag. We passed these out at our first meeting on the first day and found that people continued to wear them at activities after that.

7. I printed copies of the itinerary the last week for all members and brought these to the first meeting.

 

I initially made an attempt to find someone at RCI that would assist us with reserving rooms for such a large group. (Once the numbers went over 100, I knew it would be very difficult to find a space on our own that was big enough to accommodate us without it being reserved). I was routed to four different people and honestly the people I talked to were not at all helpful and even in a couple of cases rude. Out of desperation I e-mailed the cruise director directly (I found out how to do this, but I do not recommend this as they are very busy people). Thankfully though, Graham Seymour forwarded my e-mail and information to Randy at RCI (Xplora@rccl.com) Thank goodness I did this because Randy worked with the group coordinator on the IOS and the other cruise staff directly to meet all of our needs. Rooms were reserved for us in advance which worked out so nicely. I had a group schedule in my room upon arrival on the ship and also calls from the group coordinator the first day. I cannot say enough good things about Randy with group coordination stateside as well as the group coordinator on the IOS. I also want to say that Graham Seymour the cruise director is, in my opinion, the best there is and I appreciate so much that he made sure that our needs were taken care of.

 

I found that alot of group members did not understand what a pub crawl was, poker run, etc. so I would recommend posting information on your thread about the activities and specifics about each of them to generate excitement and interest. (for instance, members thought they had to drink at a pub crawl).

 

I also found group members were more than willing to offer assistance for whatever was needed. We mailed the supplies to one of the guys that was driving to the ship because of limited weight allowances when flying. We had other members bring small bottles of bubbles they purchased at target for sailaway.

 

With the pre-cruise preparation done - we were ready to sail on April 12th!!

 

Mary

[mjldvlks]

Independence of the Seas Review - 1st Day cont'd

 

We arrived at the port around 10:30 as our hotel had made arrangements to get us there early. After some initial confusion finding porters (it really was early and many were still helping passengers getting off the ship) we found a nice porter who told us where our bags needed to go. We went through check-in without incident and went to a room to await boarding. We were able to board by 11:30 and went directly to the Windjammer, purchasing a coke card for my DH in front of the Windjammer. Food was great - I always love getting the Honey Stung Chicken the first day! Food was also plentiful - lots of variety. The one thing I kept missing throughout the cruise was lack of Ranch dressing - but I did finally find a waiter that went and found me a bowl of it in the back.

 

Our first group get together was scheduled for 2:45 in the Labryinth Disco on Deck 3 so after lunch we went to the room to drop off a few things and then headed to Deck 3 to begin preparations. We had a D-2 balcony on Deck 9 Port Side - first room behind the hump - and it was a great room. We did not feel like the view was restricted at all. There were 4-5 shelves to put clothes on in the closet, and a two rods to hang clothes on. Plenty of hangers were available. The bathroom has a nice shelf in the corner to store things off of the counter. Be sure to bring magnets to store schedules, etc. on the wall! TVs are all flat screen and we had a pot to heat water for tea. There are two bedside tables with a drawer and space below the drawer. We slept wonderfully - the bedding is of nice quality and the bed is incredibly comfortable and spacious when put together.

 

Several of our group came to help us hide easter eggs for the kids in the Labryinth disco. We also set up a space on one of the tables to have people come and pay their money for all of the activites. I did a spreadsheet ahead of time with the total due from each person to speed up this process and it really did. I highly recommend having this first meeting to collect money so the admin. duties are taken care of right away so you can enjoy your cruise if you happen to be the one in charge of activities. Have 2-3 people help you - two with the list checking off people as they pay and one holding the money in some type of holder and making change. (After we did this we took a short period of time in one of the cabins and checked the money against the list, split it up by activity and promptly locked it in the safe!)

 

The kids had a great time hunting eggs. We handed out mardi gras beads and those that had purchased shirts ahead of time wore them to this activity. Nametags were handed out and people got to know each other. This first meeting was about an hour.

 

The muster drill went by easily for us as we were actually in the dining room! We were able to sit the entire time of the drill! (Although we contemplated what would happen in a real emergency and whether or not there was a lifeboat for us!! ha.ha.)

 

At 5:00 we gathered by the Sky bar above the pool. We brought the bubbles and found they were a big hit, even by those not in our group. Bubbles were going everywhere! The sky bar is a great gathering place for a group as people were able to purchase drinks and gather along the sides of the ship to watch the ship sail out of Ft. Lauderdale.

 

This was our last group activity of the day. We went back to our cabin and unpacked and set off to explore the ship. The IOS is absolutely beautiful. The promenade on deck 5 includes Sorrentos Pizza, the Dog and Badger Pub, several stores for shopping, a barber shop/shave, Ben and Jerry's, Next Cruise Bookings and the Cafe Promenade. The Cafe Promenade is a great place to get a drink of cold water, coffee, cookies, cakes, pastries, and small sandwiches. I loved stopping here to get coffee because they had to go cups, cream, sugar and lids. Also, they do have Splenda throughout the ship which is great.

 

The Windjammer, Jade, Portofinos and Chops are all located together Aft on Deck 11. (By the way - almost all of the food except Sorrentos Pizza is located in the Aft part of the ship).

 

We had a late dinner time - had a wonderful waiter named Maria who really took care of us. If we ever asked for anything extra the next night we had it and every night thereafter. Our group was especially fond of orange sherbert!

 

There was a first night parade which we did not go to. The promenade gets extremely crowded on parade nights so if you hope to be up close at all - you have to get there about 30 minutes early. We did go to the Welcome Show in the theater and would recommend you go.

 

That's all for the first day - more tomorrow - including the cruise staff and on board activities!! Stay tuned. I will also try to have Dennis scan all the cruise compasses tomorrow so we can post those. Bye for now! Mary

[ladylawyer]

Great start, Mary!!! I cannot wait to read the rest! :D ~ Lorna

[CVU]

Great review Mary.

Was Maria by the Captain's table? She was great and was moving to Portofinos after our cruise.

[PattiHere]

Thank you so much for all the information.

 

I am enjoying reading your posts about the cruise and can't wait to hear more about your cruise.

 

My DH and I are seriously thinking of doing this cruise next spring. We have never been on a transatlantic cruise, but after following this thread we decided it is something we want to do.

 

I am looking forward to each of your posts and thank you again! :)

[daynajo]

Mary great post, with lots of infor.

We do miss you guys.

[snowbird1]

Great review Mary.

Was Maria by the Captain's table? She was great and was moving to Portofinos after our cruise.

 

No they had another Maria. The Maria you are talking about was my waiter for second seating and yes she was very good.

[hancock]

I got an email from Ron. He is OK. He and Sue stayed in London until Monday. He is following up with his own doctor. He was grateful for the treatment he received from the docs on the ship. He has been very busy. He will stop by the boards when he has a minute.

 

Nancy

[ladylawyer]

Great review Mary.

Was Maria by the Captain's table? She was great and was moving to Portofinos after our cruise.

 

Dayle, I can answer for Mary, as we were at the same table. No, our table was about as far from the Captain's table as possible. BFE comes to mind, when describing where our table was. I kept wondering who had warned RCI about us, before our cruise. ;)

[mjldvlks]

Independence of the Seas Transatlantic April 12-25 - cont'd

 

On board experience:

 

Before going on a transatlantic cruise, we asked ourselves if we would have enough to do. We were definitely never bored on the IOS. We are trivia junkies so we started each day with the 10:00 am trivia in the Schooner Bar on Deck 4 forward (on the forward side of the casino.) You have to arrive at least 20-30 minutes before trivia to get a decent seat for your group. One thing I do wish is that they had made the schooner bar larger as it is smaller than even the schooner bar on Monarch of the Seas. We often found large groups in here at night enjoying the piano bar music which was quite good. So one small wish I had was that they would find a larger place for trivia or had built the Schooner Bar larger in the first place!

 

For breakfast you can enjoy the dining room, which included a choice of a quick buffet with fruit, assorted cereals, scrambled eggs, hash browns, meats and breads or you can order from the menu as on all RCI ships. I ordered pancakes one morning and received two small pancakes which were not very good - so I would not recommend them. Otherwise, the food was very good - I especially loved the scrambled eggs. Of course you can always enjoy the windjammer (I love the french toast there) or stop by the cafe promenade on deck 5 for a quick donut, croissant or roll and coffee.

 

For lunch, we tried a variety of different places. Johnny Rockets is always alot of fun to enjoy a burger, hot dog (I always get the chili dog which is delicious) and endless fries and onion rings. Get there by 11:30 - by 11:40 it starts getting very crowded. They only offer booths for 4 - so keep that in mind. We like to sing along to the juke box and enjoy the servers dancing to the music. Windjammer of course always offers a big variety of food. We enjoyed the dining room on several occasions and I especially like the salad bar that includes a wide variety of lettuce, arugula, fresh mozarella and many, many other toppings, choices. Everyone in our group loved going to Sorrentos for pizza - I am not a fan of their pizza though and wished they offered more salad/dessert options. The Cafe Promenade has a variety of small sandwiches that I really liked each day.

 

Do not miss the two ice shows offered. The shows are first rate and included several members of the U.S., Canadian and Russian national teams. I especially enjoyed freeze frame which went through several decades of music and costumes. The skaters are top notch and was a great, great show. On two different mornings on the TA we were told to go to Sorrentos to get tickets. Be there early and you can pick up enough tickets for those in your party (I believe the max is 6).

 

Another not to be missed is Graham Seymour's morning show on the tv. He is a very funny guy. He also had a late night adult comedy show that was also quite good. He was much better than the comedian they hired to do a show one night that I would never go to see again.

 

We went to the Murder Mystery in Portofinos one night. The food was delicious and actually they did a better job on my filet than Chop's did two nights earlier. Based on that experience I would go back to Portofinos again - although maybe it was just a fluke that they overcooked my filet in Chop's that particular night. The Murder Mystery starts in Olive or Twist with the presentation of the story, champagne and hor devoures. The cast was comprised of the dancers from the shows - their dancing is definitely top notch - acting not so much - but it was an enjoyable evening and something different.

 

We went to afternoon trivia at 3:00 in the Schooner Bar which is typically pub trivia. At 5:00 there is typically some type of trivia or Name that Tune which we also enjoyed. Progressive trivia was at 8:00 p.m. starting the second night and lasted until the last night. We somehow worked our schedule to be there just before our late seating for dinner every night. We had NO IDEA how we were doing - the scores are gathered every night and it is cumulative with the winners (top 3 teams) announced on last night. When the 2nd and 3rd place winners were announced one of them was another team comprised of TransAtlantic Fanatics and we were very excited for them - at that point we figured we made 4th place. When our very favorite activities staff member announced our name (the Transatlantic Fanatics) we couldn't believe it. We took lots of pictures and each of us got a very nice package of stuff, including a piece of artwork, a beautiful picture of the ship, a bottle of champagne, and several RCI prizes like a cooler, hat, passport holder, etc. Our team was made up of me, Dennis, Lorna, and Bill (ladylawyer) and a very special couple from Gurnsey. We went to dinner and the couple from Gurnsey joined us and we opened the champagne and had a great celebration with our tablemates. Our tablemates on this cruise included Lorna and Bill (ladylawyer), Mike and Ellie (silverfoxlady) and Helen and Glenn - friends of Lorna and Bill. We had a great two weeks sharing meals with this wonderful group of people.

 

We really enjoyed going to the Pyramid Lounge after dinner and listening to music. On several nights a band performed "Rock the Boat." These guys are awesome - so if they are on your ship - go listen to them. They are incredibly versatile. They played along a couple of nights with karaoke (called Rock a Rockie) (I think that is what it was called - correct me if I am wrong!). They had 70's nights, 60's nights, British nights. Several of us sat together and sang along - very fun nights.

 

Be sure to try the Pomegranite Frozen Margaritas in the Schooner Bar - special treat before dinner at the 5:00 Name that Tune/Trivia!

 

The Welcome Back Party was ok - so many people we had to go to the theater. So they have fruit punch/champagnes at the front door - and we saw them passing around hordevoures but it was impossible to get around to that many people if you are expecting something to eat. We saw information about Oasis. Lorna - maybe you can comment on this as I know you have been to more of these than I have.

 

A special treat during the day is the vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or mix yogurt/cones at "Sprinkles" station up on the Pool deck 11.

 

We were able to go up on the very front of the ship (accessible just outside the doors by the Schooner Bar on Deck 11 - just go up the stairs unless it is chained off). There are seats out there and a great place to visit at least once during your cruise.

 

We were fortunate enough to be there for the 1st birthday of the IOS innaugural. They had a big party on the promenade late one night and dropped balloons and served champagne. It was alot of fun to be there for that. I love how they have a stage that literally comes out of the ceiling with the captain and cruise director (or whoever is performing). One thing to keep in mind about the promenade - if you want to see anything - you had better get there early - I would say at least 30 minutes before start time. The British night on the promenade was great fun with lots of British music - and activities staff and Graham Seymour in costume. Graham sings and plays guitar also and is really quite good. There is a Mad Hatters parade with alot of great costumes. The one time it pays to have a room overlooking the promenade would be if you have children and want a ringside seat for the parades.

 

Tomorrow night I will talk about our group on board activities. So stay tuned. Please let me know if you want more information about anything I have mentioned. Have a good evening and day tomorrow! Mary

[ladylawyer]

Independence of the Seas Transatlantic April 12-25 - cont'd

 

The Welcome Back Party was ok - so many people we had to go to the theater. So they have fruit punch/champagnes at the front door - and we saw them passing around hordevoures but it was impossible to get around to that many people if you are expecting something to eat. We saw information about Oasis. Lorna - maybe you can comment on this as I know you have been to more of these than I have.

 

 

Great job, Mary!!!

 

I would have to say that this was the oddest Welcome Back Party I've ever been to. I've had the Captain's Reception in the theater, but usually the Welcome Back Party is in a smaller venue. However, I spoke to the Loyalty Ambassador, Jayne, who advised that there were 136 Diamond Plus and over 550 Diamond C&A Members. I didn't ask about the Platinum & Gold C&A Members, but you get the idea. There were a LOT of C&A Members, which explains why the theater was employed for this event.

 

As Mary mentioned, there was a presentation on the Oasis (pretty much what is available to the public). I don't believe we stayed long - in fact I have little memory of the party (other than the fact that we sat in those coveted "Suite Guests Only" seats). :rolleyes:

 

The large number of Diamond & Diamond Plus also explains why the Diamond Lounge was moved to the Pyramid Lounge, which is standard on sailings with such a large number of D/D+ Members. It was very crowded and we only went in once, for that reason.

 

OK, I'll hand the reins back to you, Mary! :D ~ Lorna

[snowbird1]

Independence of the Seas Transatlantic April 12-25 - cont'd

 

On board experience:

 

Before going on a transatlantic cruise, we asked ourselves if we would have enough to do. We were definitely never bored on the IOS. We are trivia junkies so we started each day with the 10:00 am trivia in the Schooner Bar on Deck 4 forward (on the forward side of the casino.) You have to arrive at least 20-30 minutes before trivia to get a decent seat for your group. One thing I do wish is that they had made the schooner bar larger as it is smaller than even the schooner bar on Monarch of the Seas. We often found large groups in here at night enjoying the piano bar music which was quite good. So one small wish I had was that they would find a larger place for trivia or had built the Schooner Bar larger in the first place!

 

For breakfast you can enjoy the dining room, which included a choice of a quick buffet with fruit, assorted cereals, scrambled eggs, hash browns, meats and breads or you can order from the menu as on all RCI ships. I ordered pancakes one morning and received two small pancakes which were not very good - so I would not recommend them. Otherwise, the food was very good - I especially loved the scrambled eggs. Of course you can always enjoy the windjammer (I love the french toast there) or stop by the cafe promenade on deck 5 for a quick donut, croissant or roll and coffee.

 

For lunch, we tried a variety of different places. Johnny Rockets is always alot of fun to enjoy a burger, hot dog (I always get the chili dog which is delicious) and endless fries and onion rings. Get there by 11:30 - by 11:40 it starts getting very crowded. They only offer booths for 4 - so keep that in mind. We like to sing along to the juke box and enjoy the servers dancing to the music. Windjammer of course always offers a big variety of food. We enjoyed the dining room on several occasions and I especially like the salad bar that includes a wide variety of lettuce, arugula, fresh mozarella and many, many other toppings, choices. Everyone in our group loved going to Sorrentos for pizza - I am not a fan of their pizza though and wished they offered more salad/dessert options. The Cafe Promenade has a variety of small sandwiches that I really liked each day.

 

Do not miss the two ice shows offered. The shows are first rate and included several members of the U.S., Canadian and Russian national teams. I especially enjoyed freeze frame which went through several decades of music and costumes. The skaters are top notch and was a great, great show. On two different mornings on the TA we were told to go to Sorrentos to get tickets. Be there early and you can pick up enough tickets for those in your party (I believe the max is 6).

 

Another not to be missed is Graham Seymour's morning show on the tv. He is a very funny guy. He also had a late night adult comedy show that was also quite good. He was much better than the comedian they hired to do a show one night that I would never go to see again.

 

We went to the Murder Mystery in Portofinos one night. The food was delicious and actually they did a better job on my filet than Chop's did two nights earlier. Based on that experience I would go back to Portofinos again - although maybe it was just a fluke that they overcooked my filet in Chop's that particular night. The Murder Mystery starts in Olive or Twist with the presentation of the story, champagne and hor devoures. The cast was comprised of the dancers from the shows - their dancing is definitely top notch - acting not so much - but it was an enjoyable evening and something different.

 

We went to afternoon trivia at 3:00 in the Schooner Bar which is typically pub trivia. At 5:00 there is typically some type of trivia or Name that Tune which we also enjoyed. Progressive trivia was at 8:00 p.m. starting the second night and lasted until the last night. We somehow worked our schedule to be there just before our late seating for dinner every night. We had NO IDEA how we were doing - the scores are gathered every night and it is cumulative with the winners (top 3 teams) announced on last night. When the 2nd and 3rd place winners were announced one of them was another team comprised of TransAtlantic Fanatics and we were very excited for them - at that point we figured we made 4th place. When our very favorite activities staff member announced our name (the Transatlantic Fanatics) we couldn't believe it. We took lots of pictures and each of us got a very nice package of stuff, including a piece of artwork, a beautiful picture of the ship, a bottle of champagne, and several RCI prizes like a cooler, hat, passport holder, etc. Our team was made up of me, Dennis, Lorna, and Bill (ladylawyer) and a very special couple from Gurnsey. We went to dinner and the couple from Gurnsey joined us and we opened the champagne and had a great celebration with our tablemates. Our tablemates on this cruise included Lorna and Bill (ladylawyer), Mike and Ellie (silverfoxlady) and Helen and Glenn - friends of Lorna and Bill. We had a great two weeks sharing meals with this wonderful group of people.

 

We really enjoyed going to the Pyramid Lounge after dinner and listening to music. On several nights a band performed "Rock the Boat." These guys are awesome - so if they are on your ship - go listen to them. They are incredibly versatile. They played along a couple of nights with karaoke (called Rock a Rockie) (I think that is what it was called - correct me if I am wrong!). They had 70's nights, 60's nights, British nights. Several of us sat together and sang along - very fun nights.

 

Be sure to try the Pomegranite Frozen Margaritas in the Schooner Bar - special treat before dinner at the 5:00 Name that Tune/Trivia!

 

The Welcome Back Party was ok - so many people we had to go to the theater. So they have fruit punch/champagnes at the front door - and we saw them passing around hordevoures but it was impossible to get around to that many people if you are expecting something to eat. We saw information about Oasis. Lorna - maybe you can comment on this as I know you have been to more of these than I have.

 

A special treat during the day is the vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or mix yogurt/cones at "Sprinkles" station up on the Pool deck 11.

 

We were able to go up on the very front of the ship (accessible just outside the doors by the Schooner Bar on Deck 11 - just go up the stairs unless it is chained off). There are seats out there and a great place to visit at least once during your cruise.

 

We were fortunate enough to be there for the 1st birthday of the IOS innaugural. They had a big party on the promenade late one night and dropped balloons and served champagne. It was alot of fun to be there for that. I love how they have a stage that literally comes out of the ceiling with the captain and cruise director (or whoever is performing). One thing to keep in mind about the promenade - if you want to see anything - you had better get there early - I would say at least 30 minutes before start time. The British night on the promenade was great fun with lots of British music - and activities staff and Graham Seymour in costume. Graham sings and plays guitar also and is really quite good. There is a Mad Hatters parade with alot of great costumes. The one time it pays to have a room overlooking the promenade would be if you have children and want a ringside seat for the parades.

 

Tomorrow night I will talk about our group on board activities. So stay tuned. Please let me know if you want more information about anything I have mentioned. Have a good evening and day tomorrow! Mary

 

Mary, before this is done is appears you may be writing a book, great job and it is bring back memories. I skipped the Capt's party, I don't like them in the Promenade and never go to them on the large ships where they host them there. The repeaters party was strange but I wasn't there long. I actually did make it to the Diamond Lounge pretty much every night and met a lot of great people there. I also wanted to enjoy this opportunity one last time before the Oasis (hope it doesn't change again before then).

[emmy]

Mary ~ this review is a very enjoyable read especially for those of us that were with you in spirit.:) Thanks for this labour of love and to share your memories and experiences with your fellow cruisers. I know it is time consuming so much appreciated.

 

waiting for the next installment :)

[6MonthsHere6MonthsThere]

Mary ~ this review is a very enjoyable read especially for those of us that were with you in spirit.:) Thanks for this labour of love and to share your memories and experiences with your fellow cruisers. I know it is time consuming so much appreciated.

 

waiting for the next installment :)

 

 

Emmy, It is also great for us that were there in person;):D. Lets hope next years crossing can come somewhere close:), we must try and get Mary & Dennis to join us:)

 

John.

[daynajo]

Great Job Mary. I love reading about what went on.

[mjldvlks]

Independence of the Seas - April 12-25 - Review cont'd

 

Group Activities:

 

We planned alot of activities for this group in the months prior to the cruise and posted sign up sheets on our google group site. The response was amazing. Most of our activities had close to 100 people (nearly half) of the group of 250 sign up for for them.

 

Pre-Cruise Dinner: The night before our cruise we arranged a dinner at the Bahia Cabana Restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale. I called the restaurant and made reservations for our group. We had a great turn out - over 35 people - but I was less than pleased with the service. I had reserved space and was told we would be out by the pool. We were in an partially enclosed space away from the pool and nothing was prepared for us. Tables were not put together - there were not enough chairs or tables in the area. We were assigned on waitress for all of us. The music was too loud so it was hard to talk and it was very warm. I would not go back there. However, a pre-cruise dinner is still a great way to get some of your group together prior to the cruise and we had a great time and it was so nice to put faces with names.

 

First get together - 1st day: RCI reserved the Labryinth Disco on Deck 3 for us. We hid Easter eggs for all the kids and set up a couple of tables for group members to visit and pay the amount due for all activities they had signed up for. I made a spreadsheet ahead of time with their cruise critic name, first names, activities signed up for and the amount due for each specific activity and total due. This allowed us to also total up the amount of cash due for each individual activity to help us in balancing later.

 

We purchased mardi gras beads and had those for each group member. We met from 2:45 - 3:45 prior to the muster drill - which was a perfect time for our first meeting and allowed us to get all of the money collected at one time so we didn't have to do that at a later time and take away from our cruise time.

 

Sailaway: We met after the muster drill at the Sky Bar above the pool on Deck 12. Several group members brought individual bottles of bubbles and the group, as well as several non-group members loved the bubbles. They were going everywhere!! This is a great meeting place for the Sailaway as members purchased drinks and then split up and stood along the rail for sailaway.

 

Meet and Mingle: Royal Caribbean scheduled our Meet and Mingle in the Pyramid Lounge at 10:00 am on our first full day. The Pyramid Lounge is a nice big area and fit this large group of over 200 people nicely. RCI had alot of prizes for the raffle including many RCI items, but also free internet and spa gifts, as well as art. Graham Seymour stopped by and greeted our group. After the Meet and Mingle - we had planned a gift exchange. We had each couple or single bring a gift representing the area where they are from. Because of the limited time and large amount of participation, we put the gifts at the front and brought up 5 or so group members at a time to choose a gift, open it and try to guess who had brought the gift. Group members brought alot of very nice, fun things and it was very interesting to see items from all over several countries. We kept the price limit at $10. This is a great activity, it just takes some time. I would suggest you do this at another time besides being in a rush after the Meet and Mingle.

 

SeaPass Holders: ladylawyer (Lorna) had made me a beautiful glass beaded lanyard for my sea pass so we talked about it and decided it would be great to make these on board with our group. We purchased the supplies and had them shipped to someone who was driving to the ship. We had 30 people sign up to do these. We charged $10 ea. We learned very quickly that this is too big of an undertaking for a cruise. We did not plan on several ladies that could not see the to thread the small beads, the rocking of the ship made a couple feel sick while trying to thread beads and it was extremely difficult to estimate how many beads were needed. Also beads are heavy and it is hard to get the materials to the ship with the weight allowances. They turned out beautiful - and for a very small group you could do it and have a great time. I would recommend you precount all the beads needed and place all supplies in a zip log bag. Be sure to purchase the strongest wire possible as we had some break.

 

Pub Crawl/Poker Run: IOS has several bars and a pub so we pre-planned the places we would visit. We started out at Olive and Twist and gave everyone a written quiz about things they had learned on the boards throughout the year. We gave prizes for the winners. We tied this in with a poker run and charged $5.00 ea. I brought 10 decks of cards (2 decks for each location) and premarked the decks. We had two people handing out a card and someone checking them off the list the first time. They had to sign their name in front ofus on the card (at the next location they simply showed us their card with the signature from the prior location and they got cards 2-5 (which they also had to sign in front of us). At the last pub, the highest poker hand won - which was a flush! The pot was $400. We went to the champagne bar, Dog and Badger Pub, and the Schooner Bar (we did not have time to go to Boleros so we handed out two cards at the Schooner Bar. Schedule this type of activity late in the afternoon and if a large amount of people sign up - may want to split the group up - we had probably 50-75 people and that is too many to fit in some of these small bars/pubs.

 

Cruise Critic Lunch: We arranged with our group coordinator stateside to have a special lunch. The chef prepared a special menu and we all met at 11:30. We had over 100 in attendance and were given our own space and waiters in the dining room on Deck 5 away from the other diners. We had a great time visiting with each other.

 

Miniature Golf Tournament: Our very special group member, Tom (tomcruises) from England took care of this activity. The group met at 9:30 on the golf course and RCI even provided medals for the winners. A couple of us brought RCI prizes we had won in the past that we had an excess of also for prizes. I heard several say that they wish we had another tournament scheduled - I didn't get to attend but I understand from several it was alot of fun!!!

 

Slot Tournament: This was held at 1:30 in the afternoon. We found a $1.00 Wheel of Fortune Machine that had a rather large pathway in front of it - as we had over 100 people signed up for this activity. We had one person sit next to the person that was playing and two of us stood behind watching how many pulls the person had completed. We charged $15.00 ea. for a total of 5 pulls each ($3 ea. max). We also had a side pot that everyone contributed a $1.00 towards and this went to the person that had the highest amount pulled. This is always great fun - people yell and get very excited. Just make sure that on line prior to cruise and even at the pull you clearly articulate that if a person has not paid prior to the first pull - they will not be allowed to participate or share in earnings, even if they signed up previously. We put all of the money in the machine at once and stated ahead of time that we would only play until each persons pulls were complete (we did not play on the winnings. We had a great time at this activity.

 

Cabin Crawl: We met at 3:30 one afternoon later in the first week and I mapped out ahead of time the order we would visit the rooms in. The IOS is one big ship so try to start at the highest cabin on one end and work your way down to the next level until you reach the last cabin. Group members said this was a great activity. We saw 3 aft cabins - including the corner aft (home of the stripper pole!). This is certainly a great room - love the layout and size and also the big balcony. We saw a D-1, D-2, Junior Suite on the hump, an inside handicapped room and a promenade family room with bunk beds - which was really awesome! We also saw the balcony room that is all the way forward - and has a clear side so you can see to the front and side of the ship. Great room also. kruzeagain (Alan, his mom Greta and brother Charles) ordered room service cheese, fruit and pie for us so it was a great ending to a wonderful group activity!!

 

soulpony (Gary) hosted a Veteran's meeting on Monday afternoon the second week at 4:30 in the Schooner Bar. There were about 8-10 vets in attendance and I understand they had a great visit.

 

We had a Texas Hold Em Tournament in the card room one afternoon and I understand the group had several others after this initial one. I really enjoyed playing with the group and wish I had had time to play some more!!

 

On the last day we told anyone that wanted to to meet outside the formal dining room for a last lunch together. There were about 25 of us and we had a very nice time together.

 

One thing that several did was make business cards with name, address, phone numbers and e-mail address and had these available and handed them out at some of our last times together. This was a great idea and we plan to do this for every future cruise.

 

I cannot say enough good things out Randy, our group coordinator stateside and Marla, the group coordinator on the IOS. I know that the cruise director, Graham Seymour, also had alot to do with initially getting us hooked up with Randy and Marla. So a special thank you for all their hard work and making this a very memorable cruise.

 

Tomorrow I am going to start providing information on the ports we visited. So stay tuned!! Please let me know if you want additional information on anything I post. Have a good night and day tomorrow and we'll talk to you tomorrow night!! Mary

[emmy]

Mary ~I like how you are doing your review. Look forward to the ports of call.

 

One group event I really liked is the trivia quiz that you had for the pub crawl about things learned on the boards throughout the year. I always thought that would be a good idea :)