All things EARTH...

The AquaTheater is unique to the Oasis class.

It is located at THE AFT of Deck 6...it is part of the Boardwalk neighborhood.

I do not know how often the evening production changes in the AquaTheater...for our sailing the show was Oceanaria Aqua Show:

"Aerialists soar high in the sky while divers rise from far below the depths of crystal blue waters to exciting orchestral swells and dips. Glittering fountains provide a beautiful backdrop of mist, rain and playful streams - giving voice and harmony to the song of the ocean. An ancient underwater civilization come to life in this stunning sea-side show."

You reserve tickets for this show. They are connected to your Sea Pass card. Crew with boopers will boop your card and let you enter the theater to find your seat.

Good luck finding a seat if you don't arrive early. We didn't arrive at the Aquatheater as early as we did for Chicago...that's just the way our evening developed...sometimes, it's very difficult to think about arriving so early to some of these shows. We had decided that we didn't care quite as much to have such an awesome seat...so we would arrive in time to get our reserved seats before the theater was opened to those without a reservation...

What a mistake.

Sort of.

The entire center section of the theater was reserved for Diamond + and Pinnacle members...and Gold ticket holders? Whatever that means...maybe a suite guest? IDK. I gave one of the crewmen a taste of my frustration because Mom and Dad and I were split up searching for ANY available seat in the theater. A crewman came up to me to ask if he could help me? And I said...I'm looking for my seat. I have a ticket...therefore, I have a seat. I'm simply trying to find my seat.

But there were no more seats in the theater.

He asked me if I was Diamond + or Pinnacle. Because there were a FEW single seats available in that section.

I replied that I was only 43 years old.

There were chairs...forming a kind of first row outside the railing that established the theater seating...and these were still available...and they were seats that were accounted for in the reservations...and the crewman suggested we grab those before they were gone too.

Nice.

So, it was in a bit of a frustrated state that we sat to watch what really is an entertaining show.

This was our view:

The show goes through seamless changes in the set design and the available apparatus for the performers:

Part of the thrill of watching the show is the size of the pool. It's a small pool...and when the divers go higher and higher...well...here the pool is covered with the floor that rises and falls in the pool area...but you can see the size of the pool...and see the highest diving point on the top of the left tower:

More and more the show draws nearer and nearer to the cartoon depiction of a high diver diving into a cup of water.

You can also easily seat the two types of seating in this theater. There are the colorful chairs...but then there are also wooden benches. The very front rows are just benches (wet zone) and there are a couple of bench rows in the depths of the theater also.

If you are wondering...I stood as far aft as possible on Deck 16 behind the Wipeout Bar to take this photo.

Our sailing was pretty unique...I found a thread on the Royal Caribbean board asking about the number of Pinnacle members that were on other people's sailings...so I can say that having 86 Pinnacle members on our sailing is a really, Really, REALLY ridiculously high number. There were almost 1K Diamond+ members and almost 1100 Diamond members. Then add in the other loyalty status...and I think that I calculated that only 20% of the passengers on board had no loyalty status.

The Crown & Anchor Reception Party...the Welcome Back Party...was pretty special. It was at the Boardwalk and Aquatheater..."Please show your SeaPass Card for admission." It was held on Day 4 at 7:45 pm.

There were many servers walking around with yummy fruity frozen cocktails...wine...champagne...I don't recall if there was beer. We found a nice chair in the Aquatheater...

The Aquatheater was completely filled by the time that the party had entered into the announcement phase...detailing the numbers on board for the different loyalty statuses...and also recognizing a passenger called "Super Mario" who has over 5K loyalty points...the highest number on board and I believe, for the entire Crown & Anchor membership.

And then...a true treat...the performers of the aqua show put on a special show for us!

They were not in costume...but our new view of the theater was a great improvement from the previous evening...

Look for and see the two couples beginning their dive from the large bridge-like platform. It was a thrill to really be able to see some of the things that we could not appreciate at all the night before. The two strong man performers were among my absolute fav...I have a great appreciation for the show of strength and control exhibited by such persons...they are inspirational for me...I aspire to have such strength and control in my body...check it out:

An interesting comparison to see the show at two different times of day. The lighting for the darker show was more dramatic. But it was kind of nice to be able to more clearly see the performers earlier in the day. The back of the ship has a lot of screening...so not sure how the setting sun on a clear day would affect the viewer watching the show. Sailing eastward as we were...I was happy that we had such a cloudy day during the sunset for the showtime. Things to consider for when you choose your own show time for your particular sailing.

First, thank you very much to all of you. I feel very loved and am grateful for everyone's kind words. My sister was special.

I went back to work today, and it was hard at times. What really keeps me going is that she was suffering, a lot. I'm thankful that she isn't suffering any more.

Anita, I love your review. Although I look forward to Allure, a lot of things do concern me. I think, as you have mentioned, that the TA sailing attracted a great deal of pinnacle and diamond members. We have gone from gold to platinum, and are not that far away from emerald. It will be a while until we are diamond.

I did notice on our recent trip that certain areas were sometimes reserved for the higher up classes. Jewel doesn't have a Viking Crown Lounge, but they have something very similar. Most of the time, it was unavailable.

I am more than willing to give it a try. I still keep asking myself if my husband will like this ship, and I come back with a strong no. However, when I tell him my concerns, he is like "well, let's give it a try and see what happens."

I will be making lots of posts over the weekend to fill everyone in on a great trip. Never thought I would get to see whales, but we did...just prior to going under the Golden Gate Bridge!

The scanned colors are not fully right - this is a really nice orange hoodie for earth. It's more muted in real life.

Laurie , Welcome Back & I have to say that your weight loss is very obvious in your first picture .

Laurie, it's so good to have you back. I'm sure everyone would agree that you've been in our thoughts all week. I must say, you are the incredible shrinking woman. You look wonderful.

Anita, that water show looks like fun. Was that area used for other things during the day? It seems like a lot of space just for one show.

I just did my first Zumba class in two weeks. My legs are killing me. Today I finished my proposal for next year's conference, and I've been plugging away at my M.A. application. Too much time in a chair.

I just got the Marie Kondo book from the library. I can already tell that it may be too big of a challenge for me. I don't know if I can bring myself to put my clothes on the floor. One of the issues is that if I do, I won't fit in my bedroom! It's small. I may actually start in on the other closets because I will have to pack when we renovate. I'm meeting with a contractor next week, yay.

When I moved to NY and got married, DH's mantra was "all the furniture must have storage," which he probably got from his mother. I accepted it as sage advice. I am really re-thinking that strategy now!

Laurie, I agree that your new physique is obvious in that first photo! Regardless of how the color is represented...YOU look great...what you're wearing agrees with you! :)

During the day, movies will be shown in AquaTheater. Both screens are used to show the movies. It's kind of a neat thing, if you are into the movie being shown...with food options at the Boardwalk, you can do a meal and a movie type thing. Of course...the bar is right there, too.

And often, you can see the performers practicing during the day.

The KonMari method is very challenging. We have not moved beyond the closet...time has been limited for such things until now...but I am ready to move into other areas of the house for sure. We've lived with our KonMari clothing now for a few months, I think...and it is so easy to maintain! OMG...so I feel motivated for the rest of the house based on the results from the clothing makeover. But I'm allowing myself time...I have a lot of things that I want/need to do and I'm allowing myself to do things one at a time...

Which sounds ridiculous because really, you can't do more than one thing at a time really...but I have tried in the past and not accomplished much because I didn't focus!

The whole put things on the floor...I would say that it is an important part of the mental process. Just from my own experience...the way you react to the IDEA of even putting certain items on the floor will say a lot about how you really feel about an item. Like I had written before...when you can't wait to "rescue" an item from the floor...it becomes clear how you feel about it. And when you don't really care...you put it on the floor first and put something more important on top of that thing...well...it's easy to lose that item in your life.

If you don't have room in your bedroom...pick a different room. Clean the floor up...I vacuumed...and then pile away. They are only clothes after all...and a clean floor isn't that bad...Lay a blanket on the floor first? Then it can be LIKE putting things on the bed...but still it will be the floor and you can still rescue items.

Amazing how sore you can be when go back to something after a bit of a break? For me, and my Zumba classes...part of it is the side to side action...we don't have as much side to side action in normal daily activities...so doing things that involve that motion (side salsa, for instance)...can really wake up muscles that haven't been tested recently.

I've been weeding every day. Long story...but I take DH to work...come home and just stay in the garage...grab my hat...my gloves...and do some yard work. I find weeding to be great leg work...I squat...I bend at the hips (and work those hamstrings/glutes)...all sorts of leg work, which is what I need right now especially...so it's good. I've been feeling the difference the weeding has made when I get on my bike every day.

Talking about Zumba is the perfect Segwey into talking about the Zumba class on the Allure...

So Day 4 was the second Zumba class. 9 am. Royal Promenade.

I wore my knee brace to the class. When Mom and I arrived...the place was pretty packed. There is a car in the Royal Promenade...it's adjacent to the Rising Tide Bar. It's the location for the dance classes that are also held in the Royal Promenade.

For Zumba, they set up a kind of platform/stage in front of the car for CD Jimmy to stand on for instructing. I was concerned a bit about being jostled by one of the other participants OR by someone trying to walk past this mass of humanity as the class had pretty much taken over the Royal Promenade. So Mom and I just jumped into class on the back side of the platform next to the car. I'm not sure that the front row on the opposite side appreciated our ingenuity in our class placement...

It was a very protected spot and I was happy...

Jimmy made good use of his resources...his warm up music was cut and mashed together in a great way that seamlessly guided us through about 2-3 songs without a break. His warm up was very good...it was actually a warm up...which for me, is one of the single most important aspects of any Zumba class.

And then the "class" began.

Overall...it was a decent class. There were some tell tale signs that Jimmy wasn't as experienced...that he was a newer teacher. He had some issues with some of the Latin rhythms...and so he went back to Top 40 tunes...so he didn't quite hit the right % of International rhythms required to technically have a Zumba class...But overall, I'd say that it was a good class. Jimmy was super energetic and fun and I worked up a sweat...so that's a good class!

My main beef with the class was that it was only 30 minutes...he didn't skimp on the warm up...and there was a decent cool down and then stretch...so the actual class portion was pretty short.

I held up well though. My knee brace wasn't so horrible to have to wear. Especially knowing that I could get an even better one with a custom brace...it was tiring...something that I hadn't done in a long while...which I know that you appreciate, Margaret. It can wear you out a bit...

We were gifted with a fun beach towel for being a part of Jimmy's first Zumba class. He hadn't enough towels to hand out to every one after the first class and so if you had attended that class, you could sign up to receive a towel. They were delivered to our staterooms. The towels aren't a great quality...but they are fun...they are themed on "Wishes at Sea" or something similar to Make a Wish.

There would be one more Zumba class the next morning in the Royal Promenade. We were up late this night and so didn't feel much like going to the class again the next day...

Then the class was supposed to be moved to the AquaTheater at 9 am. But the first class scheduled for that location had to be canceled because Jimmy had a conflict...and then there was never another Zumba class mentioned in the Compass. IDK if there were still classes happening...but you had to be "in the know" because the numbers were so high? OR because our weather was pretty cool in these days...highs of 63F?...and so they decided to not have the class in the earlier and even cooler morning? Or if there were complaints about the possible noise that early in the morning for the balcony guests in the Boardwalk?

I was concerned about doing Zumba in the AquaTheater. The flooring seemed a scary prospect for my knee...so I wasn't ever motivated to see if there were classes happening in the following mornings.

After Zumba...Day 4 was a typical day at Sea.

Before Zumba, we ate breakfast...and lattes after Zumba. And then there was lunch, the Solarium, the Thermal Suite...

At 4:00pm...Mom and I tried the Latin Dance Class in the Royal Promenade (we are not in this photo):

The first dance taught was a merengue...and it was too much for my knee. I could deal for a bit...but then I could sense the fatigue setting in...so we retired up to the Schooner Bar where Music Trivia would begin at 4:30pm. We observed the dance class...and had fun with "Songs with Color Tunes" Music Trivia.

And then it was happy hour...

In addition to the Diamond lounge offerings...3 free drink coupons were put on both Mom and Dad's SeaPass cards each day for use from 5-8:30pm. Most bars on the ship had a laminated menu that detailed what drinks were available for the Loyal to Royal coupons.

Trellis Bar in Central Park:

I'm wearing that new maxi from Target that we saw several times on the Summit. A lacelike tank (also from Target...also seen before)...and my tone on tone scarf (also from Target!). Mom is wearing one of the skirts that I made for her and the purple long sleeved top which is actually technical fabric. Right Mom?

The weather was cool. I could easily have been wearing something with sleeves...the scarf was a welcome addition to my outfit. We went to the Welcome Back Party, dinner, and then the Headliner show at 10:30pm. At some point in the evening...Mom and I were in our hoodies again...I ended up wearing that yellow hoodie way more than I thought I would...Selfie in the theater!:

Laurie, Anita & Pam -- you all look great!

Day 5 was the second formal night.

This was another contributing factor to our decision to not try to wake up early and go to the Zumba class. Remember that we were losing hours during the day...and as much as you don't want it to have a negative effect on your vacation...it's so easy to stay up "late" that it does become harder to think about getting up for early morning activities. Normally, 9 am wouldn't be so early...but after losing 2 hours already...that 9 am felt early.

We didn't take many photos during the day because we were generally wearing the same thing over and over. As I said before, this was usually exercise clothing and/or swimwear. The weather was very cool...much cooler than I anticipated. I think I packed more for the Caribbean than for the Atlantic...

After the two formals on the Summit...I changed my plan for the Allure. I did decide that I wanted to go the route of dress pants and a "blingy top." I have the dress pants...such as they are. I say that because I would prefer the pants to be more fitted...the legs on the black pants are too full, even though they are a straight leg (especially now after months of physical therapy)...and the pants are black (I've shown them before when I dressed for the Opera...). I needed the bling top though...

I have good luck shopping at Kohl's for such things. Jennifer Lopez brand generally has worked well for me. I had Kohl's cash and so Mom and I went shopping and I found this:

http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2039665/jennifer-lopez-foiled-tank-womens.jsp

I did purchase the black one. I think it reads EARTH...

This is the only photo from Day 5. This is before dinner in the check in area of the Deck 5 dining room (then the designated dining room for MTD).

I'm carrying my camera and a black Pashmina that DH gave me for our 7th anniversary...wool is the traditional gift. That was so long ago...black was a good choice then (this July we'll celebrate 18 years). I've been trying to wear it more despite the color, just because... I've used it to good effect for some added warmth.

Mom is wearing a beautiful and fun Joseph Ribkoff dress. She is carrying her brown hoodie...

Our plans for after dinner were to go to the Ice Show "Ice Games." Again...reservations required/recommended. Our meals were usually long...because of our dietary issues...Mom actually left dinner early, before dessert...and still she barely found seats for us...but we were able to sit to watch the show. There were people standing all around...so I think that they much allow that.

The ice show was much as I remembered the ice show from the Mariner in April 2012. That is...it's a very small ice rink in which the skaters somewhat struggle to do the more spectacular moves...so these are rather few and far between...and the show is more like a dance on ice than what I think of as skating. The performers ability to "act" becomes an integral part of the quality of the show...

There is one lady in this particular show that was SO FUNNY. OMG. So the show had it's impressive moments. They have incorporated a kind of "feat of strength" aspect this show too...a woman uses a large, body-sized ring suspended from the ceiling to do a kind of acrobatic skating. She was the kind of performer that I could watch all day...strong and graceful, exhibiting amazing control over her body and having the ability to manipulate her body to do things that you KNOW require exceptional strength to perform so effortlessly.

The Ice Show was one reason why we had "cover ups" in our hands for dinner. It was a 9:30pm show tonight. We decided to turn in early and headed for bed after the show.

Day 6...another lovely Sea Day...

A casual night with another Headliner Show planned for 9:30 pm. These evening shows formed the only guideline for our days...A word about trying to reserve tickets for something like a "Headliner Showtime."

A show like this can be difficult to reserve yourself. There is something about the way the show is coded in the computer system...even though there are two different Headliners...each performing three shows over two nights...you may have difficulty reserving tickets for both performers because they are coded the same...the system may tell you that you already have tickets for that show...even though you don't, because you only have tickets for the first Headliner but not the second. If you can follow this...

Just another reason why it might be better to just do it in person...

I heard a disparaging comment regarding the first Headliner. He was described as a "Las Vegas lounge lizard" and the kind of act that would have been playing in the THIRD bar.

I can't disagree with the assessment...there's a grain of truth there. But that doesn't mean that he wasn't an entertaining show. Our show's audience was particularly "IN" to his act. He had some things that he did that were "Greek" and/or "Italian"...a twist on traditional entertainment...and because there were many Greeks and Italians that appreciated what he was doing...well...there was great revelry in our theater during that performance. We were very entertained during this entertainment.

The performer was gifted. You may have to know a thing or two about musicianship to appreciate what he was doing and the talent he was displaying... Same with the second Headliner...

She was a very gifted pianist. I wished that she would have played more and tried to talk less...because her talent lay in playing the piano...NOT telling stories.

The "house band" performed with both Headliners. The house band was excellent.

It was very easy to find a seat for both Headliner shows. I would say that the required/recommended reservations weren't necessary. There were many empty seats for the shows we attended.

Again...my yellow hoodie got WAY more mileage than I anticipated:

This is that lace maxi skirt that I bought a while back. It's an off white. I layered two tanks...the green is over the brown one I already wore...same necklace as before...same t-strap sandals.

This is Deck 4. I'm standing in between the elevator bank in the "Entertainment Place" where the Comedy Club, the Jazz Club, and the Night Club are located. Behind me are stairs that lead to the Royal Promenade.

Above, in the Royal Promenade, you can see the lights on the ceiling and the skylight. The lights are the ceiling are ever changing...

Mom is wearing another skirt that I made for her...another long-sleeved technical gear shirt...and my hoodie.

Did I mention how poorly we packed for the temperature?

Obviously, THIS is the car in the Royal Promenade.

Behind us, you can see the Rising Tide Bar at Promenade level...it is PACKED.

And in the far distance, on Deck 6...those orange letters spell BOARDWALK.

As big as the Oasis is in terms of square footage...there is also a lot of VOLUME in the spaces. Line of sight is very long AND tall...IF you can see that far...it's pretty easy to see things to be able to find your way around this ship.

Laurie,

Glad you had a great cruise. You look great! As everyone else has said, your weight loss is really apparent, way to go :)

Anita,

As usual, loving your report and photos. Pam's formal dress is really lovely. You both look great.

It is so interesting to read Anita's postings about the Allure sailing and to see the pictures… especially knowing how I was feeling a bit "under the weather" so to speak. In the days that she's posted about, I was still under the assumption that I just had a bit of a nagging cough… no big deal. BUT, the one thing that I was definitely feeling was COLD. OMG!

I don't know what happened with the wardrobe planning for this trip. It basically feels like it was a bit non-existent. And, in reality, I actually think that I didn't put as much thought into my wardrobe as I needed to have comfort onboard. The tops and bottoms that I took just didn't have the weight that I needed for both the weather temperature and the A/C temperature of the ship. The bottom line is that I had my brown hoodie, which I wore almost constantly at night… and I "borrowed" Anita's purple hoodie, which got the majority of daytime wear. If I hadn't had those two garments to throw on, I would seriously have been miserably uncomfortably cold. I don't know if I was just a bit low temperature because of being slightly sicker than I was giving credit for… or if the temperature was just seriously colder than I thought it was going to be.

I've been cruising for quite a while now, and you'd think that I had such a packing formula down that I should be able to just pack without much ponderous thought! But, that is seriously NOT the case. And, I have some major holes in my wardrobe that I need to fill… ASAP. One of the items that I think I really want is to find a formal dress with sleeves; I know that formal dresses, with sleeves, exist in BLACK… those I've seen. Every single formal dress that I own is sleeveless. What is up with that?!? Even though we're going to hot, humidity on our next cruise… I'm seriously thinking I need to have some sleeves on a dress to counteract the ship's A/C. I would have felt so much better on this past cruise if I'd had some more weight to my clothes.

Another thing that really struck me with Anita's pictures. I know that there are some ladies who have questioned CJW's interpretation of their Color Analysis. Although I think that Selfies. should. be. BANNED, it's interesting to see the difference in our skin… mine and Anita's… when I look at her, I just think that she absorbs light and kind of glows from within… and my skin seems to just bounce and reflect light. Being a Mother/Daughter, you'd think that our skin would be more similar than it appears. I know that Laurie has the same difference with one of her daughters… who is a FIRE to her EARTH. It's just so interesting to me. I think CJW really got it RIGHT when he categorized us.

I also think that I've got to figure out two things, ASAP: (1) supportive undergarments and (2) EYE MAKEUP! I need to look more "perky" in places and I need to look more awake! LOL.

I also have mostly sleeveless dresses so I purchased a few dressy sweaters that I can pop on if it is chilly on the boat . I also pack JJill traveler items for evening . They can all be blinged up with jewelry and most of mine have sleeves . I have to say that Joseph Ribkoff dress looks great on you . It is a fabulous dress . I am so glad you & Anita did this review because we are considering a Transatlantic on the Navigator of the sea next year .

I'm really enjoying your posts, Anita. I love seeing the ship, what your wore, what you thought. I like too that Pam has joined in! My guess, Pam, is that not being up to par would make you feel even colder. That being said, I see that Anita was often wearing a hoodie so it was probably cooler in general.

I remember my first two trips on Explorer. I had to pack lightweight pants and some sort of cardigan to wear at night because that is when the AC would bother me the most. That is why that, to this day, I still bring along things like that on a cruise. The funny thing is that those were the only times I was truly cold. I do often feel a bit more comfortable changing out of a dress after dinner though.

I thought I would freeze with my dress choices this past cruise but I found the ship temperature to be very comfortable. It was the outside temperature that was harder to deal with. Catalina Island was comfortable with a lightweight cardigan or jacket, but San Francisco was in the mid 40s, and a bit cooler with the wind. I'm so happy I decided to bring those layers as I really needed them.

I do think my weight loss is slightly noticeable...what you are seeing is mostly better muscle tone, I think. I learned a very important lesson about embarking on a workout routine: It's not just the size of your dresses or shorts, but your bras too. I have to bring that up, because it forced me to wear a strapless under things I shouldn't have needed to because my bra was showing. Next up I'm going to be re-fitted for a better size!

I had this dress hemmed and I was concerned it might be a little shorter than I wanted. It ended up a bit too long because I was smaller, and the dress laid differently. My bra showed something awful, so I put on the strapless. While it didn't show under the arms, it was a bit too big still so I didn't look as nice as I would have liked.

Oh, and my husband has he same issue!!! He has been getting into shape too.

We used the gym on board, and enjoyed it. There's nothing like working up a sweat on the elliptical and having a view of the ocean. We even saw a whale while we were working out!

Laurie...yes. Undergarments are a serious issue when your body changes with exercise. Especially if you have any sort of special bras that you wear with your formal gowns. Bras and shopping for bras and keeping bras that fit well can make you crazy. It's one reason why I feel rather fortunate that wearing exercise bras (universal sizing (L, XL) not cups) works well for most of my daily dressing.

And with the changing body...yes...the underarm holes will seem bigger and go lower and all your lengths will seem longer because your body has less volume.

It's such a pain...

BUT...it's also a GREAT problem to have to deal with!! Serious congratulations to you Laurie...you look fantastic.

Sally...which direction? Westward or Eastward? I would really love to sail Westward. I think it would be amazing to enjoy the 25 hour days instead of the 23 hour days.

Hopefully, the fact that I really enjoyed the cruise is coming through. You have to enjoy Sea Days. There is some discussion on this topic on a couple threads on the Royal board. I think the TA is lovely...it's one of the first vacations that I've had as an adult where I didn't feel like I needed another vacation to recover from the vacation I just had. I think DH would enjoy it...I look forward to having the vacation time and the funds to do one at some point in the future. (We will definitely sail Westward...).

I loved our transatlantic that we took in 2011. It was westbound - Barcelona to New Orleans. I love the sea days on cruises so for me it was all about relaxing, reading and watching the ocean. My husband got a bit bored with so many sea days in a row (I think we had 8 in a row). I would do another one in a heartbeat. It was my favorite cruise so far.

Laurie, I can see why you like red so much, it really is your color! You look wonderful.

I am really stalled on the weight loss front. I am working at health from another front this month, and will wait to see if it is helpful. But I digress! Have I said that I am super-picky about undergarments?? I am! I will wear clothes a size too big but never a bra. They are first to be upgraded. I have my favorite one and I have quite a few of them. I just refreshed my stock and am super glad I did. Once they get the slightest bit uncomfortable, out they go. No mercy.

Working out changes your body, whether you lose weight or not. Things move around, and the fit of your clothes changes.

I find the idea of a TA that ends in NYC very appealing. I really don't know about coping with all the sea days, though. We had our first sea day challenge of four days on the Dawn. We chose a mini suite because we knew we'd be in the room a lot more than usual. Between that and Zumba every day, it turned out to be very enjoyable, more so than we expected. I think it would have to be the right ship for us, though, to do eight days without a break.

Anita, I like your formal night outfit. It reminds of that black and gold dress that Laurie posted that reads a bit brown. I think you look great. You and Pam really do look good in your colors.

Here is how I spent my weekend :D

One appeal of cruising is the idea of unpacking once but being able to go to and see many different locations. Your hotel floats and takes you from place to place. The amenities of the "hotel" aren't quite as important because you do little more than sleep at the hotel...so even the stateroom may be less important because again...you are just sleeping and not contemplating spending more time in your room.

But a TA is definitely more about the "hotel resort" and it's amenities and your ability to amuse yourself...or find activities for amusement at the resort. Because you will be stuck at the resort...no rental car...no public transportation...you are "sea locked" so to speak and thus...the thought is...will I be bored?

I don't have a single photograph from Day 7. No one in the family took a picture. Looking at the Compass, I know that we did the Music Trivia at 4:30 pm. It was our best showing...Music from the 50s and 60s. Our team was made of at least one other couple that we had met at the first music trivia and generally played with for the rest of the voyage.

And I know that we went to the Comedy Show this night.

The Comedy Club is an intimate setting...seating only 120 passengers. There isn't a bad seat in the place really...with it being so small. There were two comics...each performed a set during the show. It's an adult only comedy club.

Now the interesting thing is that the first comedian was hilariously funny. He was all adult humor...and used words that were not profanity but definitely were not a part of normal polite conversation...definitely adult...a lot of slang for gender specific body parts...and humor that only adults can really appreciate...but really, as crazy as this sounds...he was really clean in his language...no cursing. And I laughed HARD in his set.

The second guy...well...not so funny.

Isn't that the way it goes?

You MUST have a reservation for the comedy shows. The venue is too small to ever think you would really get a seat without one.

I don't recall ever lacking for something to do on any of these Sea Days...and even on this day where no photos were taken...I know that I was active...liking doing something related to water...swimming...Thermal Suite.

The defining activity for Day 8 was the:

70's Disco Infernal Street Party!

I recall this party from the Mariner in April 2012...from the way Mom talks about it, I think this is a Royal Signature Party that may occur on each sailing?

We didn't take any photos of ourselves on this day...AGAIN. But we took quite a few pictures of the party. I think this is a pretty good picture of a Sea of Humanity:

Again...a sort of stage/platform has been set up near the car/Rising Tide Bar. The party began with the duo on the stage signing popular Disco songs. You may not be able to name the title of the song or the singer(s) but I bet you can sing along to most of the words to all the songs they were playing/singing.

Mom wasn't up to the party. She was in the stateroom, relaxing on the bed, listening to the different musicians playing in Central Park.

Dad and I set ourselves up in the Shore Excursions area of the Royal Promenade. The advantage of this location are the bar height permanent desks/tables...perfect for placing your current beverage AND forming a sort of barrier to the mass of people...less jostling in this locale...the view is far to the stage...but it is fairly close to where the overhead "bridge" appears:

Notice how the lighted ceiling panels have changed colors. I mentioned before how they change all the time throughout the cruise...here they contribute greatly to the party atmosphere.

Our CD Jimmy appears and the party continues...again...see the ceiling?:

I've included this photo because you can see the "ceiling lights" under that bridge in Central Park through the skylight in the Royal Promenade...I think it's a cool picture:

During this time...the "Village People" have appeared on the stage/platform. Mom was right...Jimmy was the Cop. The party continues with "In the Navy" and "YMCA."

With Dreamworks on board...a special guest appearance in the Rising Tide Lounge:

Again, you can see people EVERYWHERE...the Panda was super funny...a perfect character to participate in the party. All the other photos of him are even more blurry with his dancing...especially since we were trying to zoom in to get a shot of him.

I don't recall if I have explained the Rising Tide Bar? It is an oval shaped bar whose space is defined by a wood capped glass railing around the perimeter. There are four large columns that help the Bar to levitate from the Royal Promenade to Central Park. At the Central Park level...there is a sort of green house, all glass structure that forms an enclosure with a pair of sliding glass doors so allow the comings and goings on Deck 8. Then the bar lowers to the Royal Promenade and continues this slow vertical movement during operating hours.

For the 70's Party...I heard that there were tickets sold to the Rising Tide Bar...an all-inclusive deal for adult beverages. Here you can see how the Rising Tide was at "half mast" for a part of the party...CD Jimmy is upfront:

Any all ship event is when any ship that is at or near capacity will feel crowded. Our sailing was NOT at capacity...only 5200 passengers.

I don't recall that we made a huge deal out of getting a spot for the party. I think that we were in this same kind of place for the Captain's Reception...it worked for us then and so we went with it again for this party. There was a couple near us...the woman and I were of similar age...and we had fun dancing in our little space to the songs...especially the fun female artists whose names and songs totally escape me at the moment.

I will say that the general feeling of the room was one of tolerance. That is...everyone seemed to have a general understanding that his would be a crowded event and that it would be close quarters and that there was nothing anyone could do to change it...and so everyone seemed to be displaying a bit of consideration for those around them. Any personal contact seemed to be accidental and not because people were completely oblivious to the situation. And there WAS room to dance in your spot and enjoy the party.

At least...that was my experience...

Day 9 was our third and last Formal Night.

Mom and I have figured out that this is the day that she spent the afternoon in the Medical Center. The original diagnosis was that she had a lung infection...and they prescribed and gave her antibiotics. She did not participate in this last formal night.

So it was Daddy/Daughter Date night!

Dad and I hung out at the Boardwalk to kick off happy hour. This was one of the few places on the ship that was sunny AND windless...KEY for these cold days. Understand that temps were highs in the low to mid 60s...which in and of itself wasn't so very cold...especially in the sun...BUT add the wind...and OMG...Burr.

The Boardwalk was sheltered from the wind...so it was very pleasant.

For this night...I wore my new lace maxi, a blingy top I've worn before, and my bronze oxfords:

The AquaTheater is in the background...and you can catch a glimpse of the movie on the screen.

There's a simple, but fun, bean bag toss game against the wall near the Boardwalk Bar next to Johnny Rockets. A couple was playing and it was quite entertaining to watch them and witness their banter.

Dad and I played too...simple fun.

After dinner, we checked on Mom and decided to enjoy some of the wine we brought on board.

We brought 4 bottles as part of our 2 bottles per stateroom allowance. In this situation, we like to pick New Zealand/Australian wine because they are screw caps and not corks. It just makes life easier... We had 2 bottles of Matua's Pinot Noir and 2 bottles of Kim Crawford's Sauvignon Blanc.

We had picked these up at Total Wine in Fort Lauderdale...which was walking distance from our hotel.

We hadn't opened a single bottle yet...we kept waiting for everyone to feel better and be able to enjoy the wine. Mom's health was such that we got that we just needed to open and enjoy the wine so that we didn't leave the boat with all the bottles...

We were able to snag a seat on the Rising Tide Bar! I was excited because this bar was one of the locales for a Singles & Solos Get Together...and so it was usually crowded. And I had been wanting to experience it. Here's we are:

You can see the couple next to us...the man wearing his tux and the woman looking rather bundled up in a pants outfit. I was warm enough...the beauty of wearing oxfords is SOCKS...so warm feet...and my compression sleeve...added layer on the legs...and my heavier than it looks skirt...and two shirts? And WINE...I was fine.

We decided to check on Mom and refill our wine. This is when Mom said that she had a love hate relationship with the violin. She has been resting and listening to a variety of music playing in Central Park.

Back at the Rising Tide...we lost our table but joined a single traveler at his. He was a very friendly, story-telling Scotsman with a thick brogue that required a skilled combination of concentration and yet, brain loosening, to follow his speech. It was a fun evening despite the fact that Mom wasn't with us...:(

Anita , I love the two tops you wore on formal night . Thinking about a transatlantic I think i would be fine as I can relax and read and be perfectly content but Gary not so much . We are thinking of either a transatlantic or a long cruise thru Canada and New England . If we do the TA it will be eastern . I have been to Europe a few times and the time change knocks me out so this way I would get used to it gradually .

Thanks Sally! The blue/brown with some sparkle is one of my best Goodwill finds! Yes, Margaret, the black and gold top reminded me of Laurie's dress too...but I think she decided to return it? Did you Laurie?

Wow, Margaret...so ruthless with your bras! I go bra shopping rarely...usually, the shopping is tied to some event and the need for a new bra because of body changes...I have NEVER worn out a bra. Haven't been the same size long enough to do so. I look forward to the day...I will be like you...ruthlessly not putting up with anything uncomfortable in contact with my skin.

We should plan for a group TA. Wouldn't that be fun? Maybe our Dh's would all get along? OMG...would be so much fun. Margaret...Mom and I would dance with you all night in Bolero's...you know the Latin ladies will just dance with each other...no problem. That's kind of the thing about TA's...there's so much time...and when you spend that time with other people that you get along with...it's can be such a GOOD time. We should pick a ship with Billiards...DH loves pool.

Sally...that is a major advantage of sailing Eastward. You gradually become used to the time changes. You have a lot of days of relaxation spent within the same surroundings...once you finally reach Europe, you are SO READY to get off the ship and explore!

I also didn't suffer ANY jet lag flying home. We flew during the day...I struggled a bit with falling asleep on the hop from Barcelona to Paris...but I was totally awake for Paris to Atlanta. No problems at all. And it was an easy transition back into current time.

*Rethinking East v Westbound TA...*

I'm in for the group TA! LOL. I loved ours, but I really liked adding the hours and not losing them... it felt like winning. :)

Anita, love your top for last formal. Matua Pinot Noir is my all time favorite red, good choice ;). Margaret, I do the same thing with bras, if the girls aren't happy, no ones happy! I'm in for a TA (can't convince DH to fly that long...but there are girlfriends...). Today was paddleboarding (in the rain), no pictures (& I had my new cobalt blue Athleta rash guard on too :(.). Melody

Well...I'm totally serious in this TA idea.

The only thing is that the timing for TA crossings are not in sync with my family's schedule for the next 4 years! OMG. Not to be able to have DH come along anyway... It seems that they are usually Mid-April to Early-May for Eastbound and Oct-Nov for Westbound. With DS entering high school next school year...those months aren't options until he's done with high school...

I'd be looking at Oct/Nov 2019 for first TA availability...

Margaret...Princess has an Iceland, Norway, British Isles grand adventure that looks AMAZING!! OMG...I would LOVE that! I want to go to all those destinations so very badly! 29 DAYS!?!?! can you imagine being on a cruise for 29 days? WOW.