FOS Eastern Caribbean 08-23... WOW!

[laymay325]

Let me start by saying my biggest/ONLY disappointment of the week was Friday breakfast in the MDR… my pepper shaker was empty. NO kidding. That’s the only negative for the entire cruise. What a wonderful time on this ship!
Some random thoughts…
Getting on and off the ship was a breeze, maybe 30 minutes total for both. The ship is in great shape, only showing very little wear and tear and you really have to look for that. All the staff we encountered went out of their way to be pleasant and helpful, almost over the top sometimes, but I can deal with that for a week! We ate mainly at the MDR (a silly attempt at portion control), we thought the food was very good, maybe not five star good, but very good. My wife really enjoyed all the cold soups at dinner, the apple one being her favorite. The bran muffins, triple chocolate chip cookies (Café Promenade) and pizza at Sorrento’s were special. The salad bar in the MDR (on sea days only) is not to be missed, if you like salad bars. I particularly liked the Caesar Salad at dinner. On “formal” night we saw everything from tuxes to polo shirts…
Coco Cay was a real laid back day. It rained for about an hour (during lunch) and then blew away to leave a beautiful afternoon. This was our first time in that beautiful water of the Caribbean… little did we know Coco Cay was just the appetizer! St. Thomas was our next stop and EVERYTHING you hear about Megans Bay is true! The water clarity here is absolutely amazing. Warm water, very little current and numerous Angel Fish swimming around you made this beach a place we didn’t want to leave! St. Maarten was our last stop and we went to Orient Beach. We felt the beach was not as nice as Megans, a lot more current and tide action made it a lot more work to relax and because of more waves the water was just not the same. Having said that, we thought it was a spectacular beach… just not Megans.
Back onboard… we used the gym every day and was very impressed. This gym would hold up against most gyms you would visit on land… very nice equipment and of course being at the very front of the ship you can’t beat the view! Of course the pools are very busy and you have to be there by 8:00 to have a shot of a chair anywhere near the water. There are loads of chairs all over the decks so if not being near a pool is ok with you you’ll never go without. We only saw “Deck Patrol” tagging chairs Thursday and Friday, with the requisite arguments and drama to follow.
As we tried to use the stairs as much as we could, in attempt to work off triple chocolate chip cookies, the few times we used elevators the wait time was not long at all. A thought on the stairs… the stairs seem kind of “shallow”, they are very easy to walk, and with a landing in the middle of every “flight” you feel like your climbing twice as far as you really are.
ATM charge was $6.00. Coors Light was $4.54 tip included.
One last thing... having seen the poverty of the islands we visited, it really puts all things into perspective. Most of the “complaints” we read about on these boards look kind of silly and insignificant compared to “real life”.

[sgatling7]

im exciting im leaving on sunday 9-6. did you go to the spa

[laymay325]

No... sorry. Nothing to report on the spa.

[alexw]

Laymay, I cruised with you last week and my spouse and I did the exact excursions(i gurantee we saw eachother). I will only disagree with you in one area; the food on FOS sucked in my opinion. I hate to say it but Carnivals food is light years better. But, the overall ship is one of a kind. Carnival simply cannot compete here.

Magens was beyond gorgeous, Cococay we swam with stingrays and sandsharks, and Orient I just relaxed on the lounge chair with my $3 umbrella.

The entertainment blew me away. Leticia and the guy were phenomenal(too bad theyre leaving). They really really blew me away in the farewell show. Marqee was great and once upon a time. I really loved the ice shows.

I may become a loyal royal if they can fix the food. I avoided the main dining room as I found it inedible. The windjammer was better in my eyes.

This trip was amazing though and Allen was the best CD Ive ever had after 5 cruises.

Dude did the remake of "im on the boat," I almost died!!!!

[OV8]

Originally Posted by sgatling7

im exciting im leaving on sunday 9-6. did you go to the spa

We did. Best days for savings are after your port days.

They usually extend the savings till closing.

Not the best treatments but it really dependent on who u get.

Facilities are first class & the up sell is really dependent on who u get also.

[sgatling7]

what entertainment did you have

[SASSYnLV]

It's always great to read a review like yours. Too much whining in these parts. I'm sailing on the Voyager in 12 days.

[OV8]

Originally Posted by sgatling7

what entertainment did you have

Comedians - Eric Lyden (2), John Joseph and Johnny B, Miguel Washington
Magician - Drew Thomas
Shows - Welcome Aboard show, Once Upon A Time (final time onboard), Marquee (going forward), Farewell show
Ice Show - Freedom.Fest
Parades - Welcome Aboard, 70's Dance, Farewell
Misc - Acrobats, Love & Marriage, Quest, various live small bands

[pinebro]

laymay325 - love the last 2 sentences.............