LOS - TA - April 2-16, 2011 MIA-BCN - TRIP REPORT

[foxesden1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

ummm ice cream..

[foxesden1]

Market in Malaga.. so worth the walk.. its wonderful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sware they polish the food before setting it out to sell..

[foxesden1]

 

 

 

 

 

[foxesden1]

 

Just before heading to the park, for a quick play - then the worlds most $$$ bus ride back to the ship.. I was greeted by this.. and asked to go to the Windjammer..

 

 

 

 

I was so ticked off, we ATE in the WJ - the first time in over 10 days without my husband. Thankfully it was dead, so I was able to find a table, and grabbed a quick lunch for the two of us. I hit two steam tables, and that was it.

[foxesden1]

David's Day - Malaga La Alhambra

 

First I have to add again, now much David hates tours. Really hates them. He ended up liking the first one, because the guide was so good.. this time.. not so much..

 

First his seat..

 

 

Not so much fun for a 7h bus tour.. he is also not even six foot tall..

 

 

 

 

 

[foxesden1]

 

New dance staff arrived in Cadez, and did a nightly show in Boleros..

 

 

Can I just add that the Paupiette of Roast Beef, is in fact.. Deli Meat. Sliced Deli Meat.

 

 

 

 

[foxesden1]

 

Tuna Spread

 

 

Salad

 

 

Chicken Cordon Bleu

[foxesden1]

 

Pre paid tips, something I will never do again.

[foxesden1]

Valencia, Spain

 

We did the Underground river/cave tour with RCL - it included a transfer, a great but short English city tour, a underground boat ride (no flash photos allowed) to see the rivers/caves - and the tour was only in Spanish. Very short amount of time to buy ice cream for lunch. Please make sure if you do this tour, you bring drinks/snacks (pre packaged) with you. It is a very long day. The tour guide did not allow much time for guests to use the WC - he was very stressed about time. Also, make sure you site on the RIGHT side of the bus. You will get much better photos. I was on the left, and really, had nothing I could get a clear photo of for the first 30min.

 

We arrived in Valencia, and it seamed it was quite a big deal - TV crews, newspapers, dancers, free drinks, bands the works - we were off very early, and the dock (which was very very far out of town) was packed.

 

We jumped on our tour bus with great ease, and headed out. (We had no idea but a group of us from CC had booked the same tour, so it was a BLAST!)

 

I also want to add on a side note, out of all the cities we went to our TA - Valencia was with out a doubt the best for me. I would go back and spend a week - there is so much to see and do. I felt safe at all times, enjoyed the city, the culture, and people. It was STUNNING. On our next TA- we will just take the transfer into town and walk around.

 

AND if you only ever get to go to ONE market in Spain, make it Valencia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, I have no idea where these photos were taken, as Miss Em had to go to the WC, so I missed MOST of this part of the tour. But where ever it was, (across the street from the Market) it was stunning!

[foxesden1]

Please note, you have about 36sec for shopping on this tour, at the market. Miss Em wanted some grapes, and I did not have enough time to buy them.

 

 

The outside of the Market.

 

 

Tapas stands all around the market

 

 

[foxesden1]

 

 

 

 

WOW We are almost done.. I bet you are happy to see the end of this review! And I bet you guys are THRILLED not to be going to France with me, the following week!

 

Tonight is our last night in the dining room, followed by a tour/transfer to the airport on our last day. We opted to do a bus tour of Barcelona, before picking up our rental car and heading to France for a week.

 

I will post some photos of our return to Barcelona, so you can see where we stayed, and our flight home. But it will be jumping forward a week.

 

Thanks to everyone who hung in with me - and don't forget I have CC for everyday, plus kids clubs - I just need to scan them.. so another two weeks I would guess at the rate I am going! :rolleyes:

 

Taylor

[foxesden1]

 

The "Vin Mousseux" that guest services sent up for the errors made onboard the ship.. retails for about 8.00 in the US or 26 Polish Zloty's. Seems to be the drink of choice in Poland.. (Did a internet search to find price point). I think rather then sending up gifts to correct errors made by GS - why not, just do it right the first time? :rolleyes:

 

 

 

 

[foxesden1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and guess what Miss Em had for her last night?? PASTA SHELLS!

 

 

or as I like to call it, "and now for something.. completely the same.. "

[foxesden1]

 

 

 

 

 

And for anyone who may be reading this, if you see CAT and Karen in your travels, please tell them that we say hello.

[foxesden1]

Farewell Show

 

 

 

 

 

 

and guess what I found in my cabin, on our last night..

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are you ready???

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have you guessed yet?

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ICE! :rolleyes:

[foxesden1]

 

Pulling into Barcelona very early

 

 

Departure lounge for tours departing in Barcelona with drop off locations - including train, downtown, and airport.

 

 

Way to early to disembark for Miss Em

 

 

My review on baggage, disembarking, and final thoughts on RCL LOS.

 

About three or four days before we were to arrive in Barcelona, we were all giving forms in our staterooms to fill out - advising what we need to do, times, and asking what our travel details were - as well as how many baggage tags we needed.

 

We had a fair amount of bags (10 in total) and we were going on a ships tour. So I asked for 10 bags tags, and ensured that the name of the tour was on them.

 

Of course we were went 4 bag tags (for three people) and incorrect numbers were on them.

 

Royal had given out a form letter with the tags which clearly stated tours were to be tagged with GREEN number 18. We were given a mix of Green 17 and 10. So I like everyone else in the ship who was given incorrect tags went to GS.. (the line.. oh my) where everyone was told to no follow the details on the letter, and to just put the tags that were on our bags.. yada yada yada.. maybe printing the correct info? posting a sign? having someone go to people in the line, to tell them, rather then having tons and tons of people ASKING THE SAME question???

 

In the end, my CA pulled though, she found us 10 tags, with the number 18. And of course on of our bags, ended up arriving on number 17 - 15min after we were all to be on the tour bus.

 

The departure from ship to shore was quick - they stamped everyone coming off the ship, with out so much as a look at our documents.. (keep this in your mind.. because it will be coming back again to haunt us in about a week.. )

 

We found our bus, and off we went.

 

Final thoughts on RCCL - for the price we paid, we had a great trip. The staff was fun, the kids club was good - but (insert something I forgot to add.. way back in the middle of the trip, Miss Em was with Kids Club, on a walk about - all the kids, and staff.. everything was going great.. but for the fact that not one staff member had Miss Em's puffers or Epipens with them... not really so much help locked up in a room.. :eek: kwim?) I am not sure I would trust them 100% with my child who was ANA. Not quite sure if the "get it" or not. I am sure other parents have had a different experience then us. And I would like to add, from that point in time, when ever I saw Miss Em, they had her pen with them. So my quick talk to the kids club department head worked..

 

Would I go on RCL again? yes, with out a doubt, we are infact booked for two cruises with my IL in 2013. And we hope to do a 2014 TA. Would I pay top dollar for a cruise with RCL? I don't think so. They are a mass market cruise ship, and while I liked the bells and whistles of the Liberty, I am not about to pay double to go on a newer ship. BUT that is just a personal choice. If I could get a deal, sure I would take it. :p

[foxesden1]

whoops, me again! guess what I saw as we were pulling out of the port?

 

[travelpeon]

I should have titled it, my never ending report filled with every item of food you might want to eat while on a RCCL? LOL

 

Heck yes. Sign me up. BTW, if you ever want to consider Aqua Class on Celebrity, here's some photos of the food in Blu

Can't speak for the wine package but the meat was excellent, particularly the lamb. Seafood was ok. I probably annoyed the heck out of people asking them "what's the best thing you've eaten on this cruise so far", including Sara Moulton's (the celebrity chef) husband. It was the Broccoli soup in Bistro on 5, btw.

 

Love the travel acronyms.

 

Thanks for the trip report! I think based on your observations about the budget cuts, I should put a little more money towards specialty restaurants on my fall cruise.

[foxesden1]

Thanks! Those were great pix on your link!

[basebare]

Foxesden1, Can I say that one month can't come quick enough for me! Your pictures and very fair review make me very anxious to board LOS and enjoy my week away!!! (really 12 days if you factor in time in BCN after). Thanks so much for your amazing efforts reviewing the ship/food and entertainment.

Patti

[foxesden1]

Have a great trip! :D

[eNomad]

Have a great trip! :D

 

Taylor,

 

Thank you for your outstanding review. You remind us of how good so many things were on the cruise. Sorry you had such had luck with your cabin attendant. (We have never, ever had such bad service from a RCI cabin attendant.)

 

Gene

[charliegirlac]

Thanks for taking the time to write a great review!!

[foxesden1]

Happy to see so many people hung into the end.. LOL

 

Hope it helps someone, I know I love reading reviews with TONS of photos! :D

[marci22]

Now, I think its is odd, but what ever he is a P.ENG so really, everything he does is odd right?

 

Well he comes back 5min later with 4 little cups of fruit salad. And then he starts to make "the poor man's sangria" at our table. Cheep Wine, CHECK, Fruit, CHECK, Sugar, CHECK.. Cat at this point is looking at David like he has 2 heads.. I am laughing, but you know what? It TASTED GOOD!

 

So from that point on David made his own batch of Sangria, and we kept it in our cabin. (I had brought a large juice bottle for Miss Em we never ended up using.. )

 

Great Idea Honey! :WINK:

 

That is one of the best ideas I have ever read on cruise critic. He's the McGuyver of the MDR!

 

Excellent review. I didn't initially read it because it was a TA review, but someone mentioned it on another post.

 

I really appreciate all of the menu pictures and comments, thanks for taking the time to do it.