Mediterranean Cruise with Children Review – Legend of the Seas 7 Night W. Med

[xxHadleyxx]

I love the story of Richard opening your wine bottle and leaving you a corkscrew and glasses--those are the kind of little things that REALLY make you feel pampered :)

 

(and, obviously, I love the details ;) ).

[Travel R]

I love the story of Richard opening your wine bottle and leaving you a corkscrew and glasses--those are the kind of little things that REALLY make you feel pampered :)

 

(and, obviously, I love the details ;) ).

 

 

And yet another vote for details - so I will keep them up.

 

It was those extra things that helped to make the cruise such a pleasure -- not to mention his great attitude - he was always smiling and laughing.

 

I am already writing the review of Valencia, and hope to have it posted by this evening or tomorrow morning the latest. All of the pictures are already uplaoded and tagged, so I can post them immediately after the review is over. I know that some reviewers insert their pictures directly into the post itself, but I feel that I can concentrate the textual post with text and then have all the pics together for easier viewing (just my opinion, and hopefully it is okay with ya'll).

 

I have a question for you relating to European Cruises -- Do you think your own teenagers have a different take/idea about European Cruises since they already live on the Continent, in comparison to an American teen taking the same cruise?

 

[FYI - I got into the habit of following your blog since I started reading your cruise review. Although I only go on it from timt to time to catch up, I am enjoying reading about your side trips -- and wow do those Germans use some very long words.]

Edited August 2, 2013 by Travel R

[gbntmom]

Please continue along the way you have been. It's a pleasure to read all the details about your days & your impressions, and your pictures are beautiful. I, for one, am thoroughly enjoying this adventure of yours.

 

Janet

[hansolosmom]

Just wanted to say I am enjoying your review. We are just back from the Med too, but we did the other side, started in Rome & visited Greece & Turkey. So I'm finding the reviews of your stops fascinating.

 

In our family though it's 2 boys who were 15 & 17 for this cruise. We did 1 stateroom. I noticed your room had the big sofa bed. I opted for the combo of the sofa & a Pullman, that way the boys didn't have to sleep together - because that wouldn't have worked! It give a little more room when the beds are out & you can still reach the balcony. I have noticed though that on the newer ships, this configuration is harder find, but they do exist.

[cruise pup]

Currently, there is a commercial on tv for a Windows Nokia camera phone. There's some footage taken in Barcelona in front of the museum, kinda like your photo. How funny is that?!

[Travel R]

Just wanted to say I am enjoying your review. We are just back from the Med too, but we did the other side, started in Rome & visited Greece & Turkey. So I'm finding the reviews of your stops fascinating.

 

In our family though it's 2 boys who were 15 & 17 for this cruise. We did 1 stateroom. I noticed your room had the big sofa bed. I opted for the combo of the sofa & a Pullman, that way the boys didn't have to sleep together - because that wouldn't have worked! It give a little more room when the beds are out & you can still reach the balcony. I have noticed though that on the newer ships, this configuration is harder find, but they do exist.

 

I did not even consider that type of room configuration (I am not sure if I know that it existed). The Sofa bed was more than enough room for my two daughters. The older one is very, very skinny (althoguh pretty tall for her age) and my younger one is still a little squirt, but your configuration would have provided some additional walking room.

 

I have always wanted to visit Greece - it is at the top of my bucket list, and hope to do so one day -- have you written a review for your side of the Med? I would love to read it - even a short one (there is a great reviewer on CC, I think his name is Gamby or Gambee, I do not think there is even a minor detail he misses in his reviews - but they are very, very long).

 

FYI - I live your ID name.

[Travel R]

Please continue along the way you have been. It's a pleasure to read all the details about your days & your impressions, and your pictures are beautiful. I, for one, am thoroughly enjoying this adventure of yours.

 

Janet

 

Thank you!

[Travel R]

Currently, there is a commercial on tv for a Windows Nokia camera phone. There's some footage taken in Barcelona in front of the museum, kinda like your photo. How funny is that?!

 

Very cool -thanks for the info. I just did a quick look on the net and could not find it, I'll take a more thorough search later on.

 

Now to post the next installment of this review . . .

[Travel R]

The Morning Meal

This morning commenced later than usual for all of us. There was no early morning exercise or jaunt to Park Café pick up a quick snack. Although unhurried in our movements, we prepared to meet the day’s journey as veteran combatants, knowing that this would be our last soiree on European soil. My troop took breakfast in the main dining room, as has been our custom, and ate at our leisure while entertaining ourselves with conversation from other like-minded warriors and after the last morsel was devoured, we all said our farewells. It was then back to our quarters for us before disembarking to the “Brave City of Edetans,” which is the ancient nickname for Valencia.

City of Arts and Sciences (Learning and they Don’t Even Know It)

For this, as well as each preceding port, I had strived to find the perfect balance of culture and child-oriented escapade while also being of interest to their elders. There were no private tours that met my needs, so we undertook this day’s expedition into the city on our own. Our destination was The City of Arts and Sciences. Our transportation that was to be the local taxis, which were very easy to acquire just outside the terminal building. Before ten minutes had passed, we had arrived at the complex and the driver deposited us at its perimeter.

[Note: The fare was about 10 Euros (both ways). On the way to the museums, we took a route closer to the ports themselves and the area looked a little seedy. However, the driver on the way back took a different route (two or three blocks from the water), and the area was a bit nicer. Under different circumstances (and with more research), walking to or from the area would be a possible option. Also note that RCI does have a shuttlebus service that goes into the city (by the Central Market), but it is at least a 20 minute walk from the City of Arts and Sciences.]

The architecture of the buildings in the complex was breathtaking with wide angles and twists and turns of its steel skeleton from the portico to the configuration and angles of its façade. Even my daughters that were not overly impressed with Gaudi’s masterpiece were impressed by the remarkable splendor of this edifice.

We walked through the premises until we discovered the location to procure tickets for entry. The woman at the counter posed us with the options of visiting their three main attractions (other than the opera house): (1) the museum of science, our main reason for being there on this occasion; (2) the Imax theater; and/or (3) the Aquarium, which was the third largest on this continent. Had we not already visited the aquarium at Genova, although to our disappointment, we would have chosen each and every option, so our selection was only for numbers one and two.

[Note: There are combination packages available for all of the options. There are also different movies playing at the Imax Theater. We asked the person (in broken Spanish) at the desk and she responded (in broken English) that because of our DD’s ages, the one about a raft trip down the Nile river would be the best. It wound up being an “okay” choice, but I should have done some research prior to going on what movies were playing so I could made a more informed choice – after I got back and looked at their website, I viewed the description for a different movie that looked like it would have been better for them.]

The museum was not crowded at all when we arrived. There was no queue at the ticket counter, nor were there many bodies walking around the science museum itself. Being mostly void of bodies was inviting after the abundant number of tourists at each and every previous stop. I did second-guess myself at first as to whether this was a good choice, but as it turned out, it was a very good choice. We explored the different levels of the museum, trying the hands-on exhibits when we possible. Not only did the creators of this museum design it to be aesthetic in the architectural sense, but they also designed it to combine the science and learning together with fun. Walking through the different exhibits was enjoyable to each of us – with something for each of our age groups. The Marvel superhero display was one of our favorite areas – it was something we were all familiar with (at different levels), and there were some fun activities (and photo ops) that we all enjoyed. One of the best features of the place is that all the information is provided in both Spanish AND English.

A few minutes before the allotted hour the film was to begin, we made our way to the L'Hemisfèric, a modernistic dome shaped building that housed the theater. They handed out headsets to each of us – what was most amazing about these devices was that they can be programmed to play in four different languages (English, Spanish, French, and German). The movie was a documentary that followed an expedition of explorers and scientists that became the first known people to sail down the Nile from its origin deep in Africa to its mouth that empties out into the Mediterranean. I love the Imax experience, and the photography and subject matter lent to being worthy of this experience. However, although I personally enjoyed it, after a while my kids and DW (understandingly) became bored of the documentary after a while.

Once the film was over, we decided to return to the ship. One item we were discussing was to go to lunch and come back to the museum, but everyone agreed that we had seen most of the museum, and we were tired. A plan B, which I had concocted prior to the vacation, was to take a taxi to the Central Market to eat, then return to the ship, but my family was content with heading back to port. We hired another taxi for the ride and made it back in time to dine at the Windjammer.

[Note: There was no taxi stand at the complex. Anyone we asked seemed to either forget any English they may have known (kind of reminded me of Paris) or just did not know. We walked back to the area that the original taxi dropped us off and asked the police/guard that was nearby – and she hailed a cab for us. We have always had good help from police in various foreign countries. Years ago in Madrid, we were trying to find a restaurant and asked a policeman in a car nearby – he asked us to get into the car (yeah, we were a bit nervous), but proceeded to drive us to the restaurant.]

Up Next . . . . . Second Formal Night (followed by my opinion of Formal Night)

[Travel R]

The City of Arts and Sciences (Valencia):

 

 

 

Sky over Bridge (City of Arts and Science, Valencia):

 

 

 

Across the Water (City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia):

 

 

Getting Lost in Science (City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia) [in Sepia]:

 

 

 

Fancy Genes, but not in the MDR on Formal Night (City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia) [in Sepia]:

 

 

Art & Science (in the City of Art & Science, Valencia):

 

[hansolosmom]

I did not even consider that type of room configuration (I am not sure if I know that it existed). The Sofa bed was more than enough room for my two daughters. The older one is very, very skinny (althoguh pretty tall for her age) and my younger one is still a little squirt, but your configuration would have provided some additional walking room.

 

I have always wanted to visit Greece - it is at the top of my bucket list, and hope to do so one day -- have you written a review for your side of the Med? I would love to read it - even a short one (there is a great reviewer on CC, I think his name is Gamby or Gambee, I do not think there is even a minor detail he misses in his reviews - but they are very, very long).

 

FYI - I live your ID name.

 

Those rooms are what let us cruise, its much more economical than getting 2 rooms. Although I'm not sure how much longer they'll be an option with the boys ages.

 

I haven't posted my review yet, I'm working on it in a word doc & then I'll post. But I'm also trying to weed out some pictures to post with it, I know you understand that. :)

 

I have seen Gambee's reviews they're amazing and very detailed. I like yours I think it has a good amount of information without going overboard.

Also I have to say I started reading yours & liked the style so I was styling mine a little like it.

[Travel R]

Solar Fusion (City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia):

 

 

 

Spidy's Arch Rival (City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia):

 

 

 

More architecture (City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia):

 

 

 

Photo of a colorful building from the cab (while moving) on the way back to the ship (Valencia):

 

 

 

Mirror image of the Legend of the Seas (off of the side of the port building in Valencia):

 

[Travel R]

 

Also I have to say I started reading yours & liked the style so I was styling mine a little like it.

 

Very kind of you to say that. I am glad that you like the style.

[cruise pup]

Very cool -thanks for the info. I just did a quick look on the net and could not find it, I'll take a more thorough search later on.

 

Now to post the next installment of this review . . .

 

I looked too. There are a lot of Nokia commercials for phones on Youtube but not the one currently on tv. It probably is too recent to make it there yet. Great shots of Valencia, by the way.

[Travel R]

I looked too. There are a lot of Nokia commercials for phones on Youtube but not the one currently on tv. It probably is too recent to make it there yet. Great shots of Valencia, by the way.

 

Thanks. I am glad the shots from the little point and shoot (Panasonic) came out well. Although, with that archetecture, I do not think anyone can take a bad picture there.

[Travel R]

If, by chance, you did not gather from my previous review post that everyone in my family had a great time at the City of Arts and Sciences, and would be one of the places during our vacation that our children would recommend to other kids of their age. It was also very nice family time, but as our kids get older family time does seem to diminish, especially it seems on cruise ships. . . . . .

A Nice Meal in the Windjammer

Although we arrived at the Windjammer at a late hour, it was still bustling with other dinners recently back from their own adventures. A table was eventually found after performing a stakeout on a table occupied by a group of individuals that were already partaking in their desserts. Although we must have looked like felines watching our prey and ready to pounce, there were not many other options available, other guests that had also recently entered the restaurant were also staking claims to their tables, while others that did take this same approach were walking around aimlessly with hopes that an empty table may magically appear. Lunch was very good that day, I discovered two sauces intended for pasta that were extremely good. Unfortunately I did not jot down the names of these sauces (I believe one was a bolognas), but also used these sauces as accompaniments for other dishes in the buffet and it made for a more than adequate meal. I believe I may have even had some salad on this occasion, there being a very decent selection at the salad station, although the dressings were poorly labeled.

Soon after being seated (and finding someone from the waitstaff to clean the table), my elder daughter saw her friends sitting at a table, and after taking a few bites of her food, they asked her to join them. Of course, we let her go and she even took her plate, but it appeared as though the entire time she was there, she spent it talking, so I am not sure if even a crumb of food made it past her lips. The younger daughter also wanted the company of peers her age and requested to be brought to the Adventure Ocean kids club.

[Note: I noticed that I have been writing Ocean Adventure, instead of the correct Adventure Ocean, in almost all of my prior posts. I use the acronym OA regularly at work, and for some reason, the title matching that acronym seemed correct. So, sorry for any confusion it may have caused (if any).]

Formal Night and a Change of Dinner Plans

My DW and I spent the remainder of the afternoon strolling around the ship, followed by some R&R until the time came to begin our preparation for our second formal night. Once again, my family looked great in their dresses and gowns, but we were not going to be able to enjoy the company of our young dinner companions on that evening.

My daughter’s group of young cruise compatriots had arranged a table of their own for dinner, and adult guests were not allowed. For the appeasement of her parents, my daughter also invited her younger sibling to dine at their table (to her utmost pleasure). Throughout the meal we kept half and eye on their table and each of the kids seemed to be well behaved (and at one point when I went by to take pictures, a guest at a nearby table also mentioned to me how well behaved the group of children were). It was adorable how they looked, each child adorned in their formalwear attire.

The option for myself and my strikingly beautiful wife to dine together was discussed, but we were both of the opine that perhaps this would be an opportunity to join a larger table and once again enjoy the company of our fellow passengers. The opportunity, although not frequent, is available for us to dine privately, but there are much less occasions to sit with stranger, albeit all with the love of cruising in their veins, and talk. We were seated at a table for ten near our daughters’ table, although it was unfortunately not with our regular amazing wait staff. The staff for this evening was not bad, but since they were unfamiliar with our quirks (e.g., serve me two glasses of diet coke before I even ask), it was not the same.

[Note: There seemed to be a similar proportion of those that followed the dress code as on the first formal evening. But it was nice to once again see a much greater preponderance of the guests dressed up than those that were not. I will soon discuss my opinions of formal night attire in a post coming very soon, but as not to insult particular sects of individuals on this topic and turn them off from this review, I will probably hold off until after my review of the final sea day. In addition, something did occur post-vacation (in regards to the dress code) that may be more chronologically apropos to discuss at a later time, and it will fit in well with tipping, yet another one of the CC hot topics, that should also be discussed towards the very end of the cruise review.]

The evening’s dinner had its share of ups and downs in regards to my choices with a nice surprise:

Appetizer: Duck. An extremely small serving, and taste-wise it was just okay. Prepared well, but could have been a little juicier and a little bolder in taste.

Soup: Garlic. Once again, loved this soup. Full of flavor from the first spoonful to the last.

Salad: Pear and Walnut Salad. Very, very good. Full of taste and a great combination of nuts and fruits.

Main Course #1: Double beef. Horrible. Although the beef dishes both had some taste, I did not care for it, nor the way they were prepared. They were very stringy with too much fat. I only had a few bites before pushing it to the side (and I hate to see food being wasted). This was one of the dishes that when I read it’s description, I was looking forward to it, but it failed.

Main Course #2: NY Strip. This was a huge surprise to me. I usually do not order steak outside of a good steakhouse (Outback is not a steakhouse) or a racetrack (really, some of the best steaks I have ever eaten. I like my steaks very well on the outside, with no pink on the inside (without drying out the interior of the piece of steak). I cannot remember now, but I believe that the other selections did not appeal to me as much. I was surprised that the kitchen was able to cook the steak to order, and that it was seasoned appropriately. This was the pinnacle to the Garlic Soup and the Pear Salad. As I have mentioned before, I order two main courses, not just to try different things, but also to ensure that there is one dish that I know I will enjoy, and I am very glad I did for this meal (but I usually do eat both entree’s and rarely waste any food).

Dessert: Strawberry Tart. A fairly good dessert, which I enjoyed after this very good meal.

The Evening’s Entertainment

After the meal, we dropped off our daughter once again to the kids club, then we went onto one of the evening activities, the majority rules game in the overly crowded Centrum. A cute little game, and one of the few where everyone in attendance can participate. When the game was over, and no we did not win, we sprung our daughter from Adventure Ocean (against her will) and all went to see that evening’s main performance in the theater. The show was entitled “Invitation to Dance,” and featured the RCI singers and dances (doing what else, but singing and dancing), with a special guest couple of “champion” ballroom dancers from Russia. Although some seemed to enjoy this show, I usually dislike any of the ship’s shows featuring their own entertainment staff – and I was not disappointed. The routines, and even the sets seemed familiar and I am very sure I had seen them on a past cruise. The guest dancers were not bad (good although not spectacular), and I just do not enjoy these types of shows. I should have taken a solo flight and attended the Beatles Hour at the Viking Crown lounge, the downside being that it began half-way through the show, and I thought it more important to be with my DW and DD8.

Another enjoyable late evening was had on the balcony enjoying the ocean waiting for my DD13 to come back to the cabin. When she came back, close to a quarter to one, we had our final midnight snack of the vacation – a series of daddy daughter bonding moments I will never forget.

Up Next . . . . A Sea Day

Edited August 3, 2013 by Travel R

[cruise pup]

It amazes what they try to pass off as a formal night dinner. On a transatlantic cruise with more than 2 formal nights, the menu included fried chicken. I thought, sarcastically, "This must be some fried chicken!" I ordered it to find out and boy was it ever, not! The maître d' passed me and looked at me and the chicken due to my earlier remarks. So I told him I was curious to see what they were serving. We made the chef walk the plank later that night.:D I think they usually serve that NY Steak with a sauce so I order mine "dry" which is asking for trouble.;)

[5Porthill]

It amazes what they try to pass off as a formal night dinner. On a transatlantic cruise with more than 2 formal nights, the menu included fried chicken. I thought, sarcastically, "This must be some fried chicken!" I ordered it to find out and boy was it ever, not! The maître d' passed me and looked at me and the chicken due to my earlier remarks. So I told him I was curious to see what they were serving. We made the chef walk the plank later that night.:D I think they usually serve that NY Steak with a sauce so I order mine "dry" which is asking for trouble.;)

 

Hi,

 

Absolutely loving your revue, we are travelling on the Legend over the Xmas holidays, your observations have been very valuable.

 

Having been to Rome several times, I have to agree the Pantheon is an absolute must, we were there in May and when standing outside overheard two fellow cruise passengers saying they wouldn't bother to go in when they could just Google it!!!!

[Travel R]

It amazes what they try to pass off as a formal night dinner. On a transatlantic cruise with more than 2 formal nights, the menu included fried chicken. I thought, sarcastically, "This must be some fried chicken!" I ordered it to find out and boy was it ever, not! The maître d' passed me and looked at me and the chicken due to my earlier remarks. So I told him I was curious to see what they were serving. We made the chef walk the plank later that night.:D I think they usually serve that NY Steak with a sauce so I order mine "dry" which is asking for trouble.;)

 

The head honchos at RCI really need to sit down and think about what Formal Night is supposed to be mean on RCI (make it either a real formal night or do away with it -- none of this wishy-washy talk. That is all I am going to say for now -- I will provide my discussion on this the near future.

[Travel R]

Hi,

 

Absolutely loving your revue, we are travelling on the Legend over the Xmas holidays, your observations have been very valuable.

 

Having been to Rome several times, I have to agree the Pantheon is an absolute must, we were there in May and when standing outside overheard two fellow cruise passengers saying they wouldn't bother to go in when they could just Google it!!!!

 

It is like someone coming to the US, being in the southwest and saying that they do not need to see the Grand Cayon because they can Goodle it. There are many great pictures, paintings, Imax movies, etc. but they is nothing compared to just standing there and looking at the majesty of mother nature and the canyon yourself. As for the Pantheon, it is more etherealist than visual -- the fact of just being there in structure that has been standing for almost two millenum - and all the history that has taken place within and around that structure -- and just to look upon the archecture that has inflenced builders even today. If those people had to chose between the Coliseum/Forum versus the Pantheon, I can see them skipping it -- but with the hope of returning to the Eternal City to visit the site at a future time.

[cruise pup]

It is like someone coming to the US, being in the southwest and saying that they do not need to see the Grand Cayon because they can Goodle it. There are many great pictures, paintings, Imax movies, etc. but they is nothing compared to just standing there and looking at the majesty of mother nature and the canyon yourself. As for the Pantheon, it is more etherealist than visual -- the fact of just being there in structure that has been standing for almost two millenum - and all the history that has taken place within and around that structure -- and just to look upon the archecture that has inflenced builders even today. If those people had to chose between the Coliseum/Forum versus the Pantheon, I can see them skipping it -- but with the hope of returning to the Eternal City to visit the site at a future time.

 

Hey, it's their loss. But if you want to encourage a visit, spread a rumor that there's a terrific gelato stand inside. That'll have them busting down the doors!;)

[moshek]

On every single one of our Med cruise the 12-17 year olds have been put together in one group! We never sail in July or August--perhaps then there are enough teens to split, but certainly not in May, June, September or October in the Med :)

 

Have loved catching up with this thread today after returning from our 14 night cruise to Med yesterday. I just wanted to add that there were over 600 teens on our cruise due to it being the beginning of UK school holidays and sailing from UK. The 12-14 and 15-17 groups did have different schedules but just did same activities in a different order. My younger son (13) went to quite a few activities but older son (15) preferred to hang out with the friends he made around the ship. There certainly wouldn't have been enough room in teen area if everyone had decided to attend.

[Travel R]

Early Stroll & Breakfast

I awoke with the sun for the final day of our cruise. I was pleased to still be on vacation, but foreboding the following day’s long journey back to reality. I thought to myself that I would be content to just live my life in this manner – waking up in a new port each morning, never having to worry about cooking three squares a day, or even having a nourishing snack during the day. Ahh . . . . to dream. But I digress, so back to the review. I put on my running shorts, go dressed and went up to the track. It was a half-jog, half walk, and I took more pictures of the beautiful morning. I tightened my hat so it would not blow off in the gusts of the fresh ocean gusts. A chill was still hanging in the air from the previous evening, and it did not seem that it would warm up for the approaching day. I half-ran, and half-walked around the deck slightly raising my heart-beat, but also stopping often to photograph the wide expanse of the oceanic beauty surrounding me and the ship.

[Note: It was pretty early when I went up on deck (maybe around 6 am), and chair hogs had already claimed some lounge chairs. I will post a picture of 4 or 5 chairs that had were being “saved” at that early hour. It looked like it was going to be a breezy and fairly cool day, so I am not sure that there would be any trouble getting chairs that day. At least the person had the “courtesy” to reserve chairs on the overhanging deck instead of right in front of the pool. I was actually not going to jog so early and had originally intended on doing the Walk A Mile Make-A-Wish-Foundation walk/run, but it slipped my mind.]

For the last time I stopped by Park Café to pick up a few snacks, then returned to the room to take a shower, get dressed, then relax out on the balcony while the girls took their time awaking. The young ladies decided they did not want to get up and would forego the main dining room for a later meal in the Windjammer. Once again, sans the children, the Romeo and Juliet themed dining room was our morning destination. With nowhere to go we took our time eating, and once again enjoying both the food and the company.

Our Cruise Tradition

Although there were a few activities that did catch my eye, I took it fairly easy. My DW and I have formed a tradition on our past cruises. On one afternoon during each cruise she would experience one of the spa treatments on the ship, while I would order double of the fattiest and unhealthiest selections for room service while view whatever garbage was being shown on the video box [yeah, kind of one-sided, but we both get something we want].

Originally, she did not want to spend the extra dough for an overpriced treatment on an already expensive holiday, so a treatment was not preordered. By the hour we had arrived on the ship I persuaded her to take the dive and throw herself into the throes of self-indulgence and reserve a massage. Our timing was terrible and the only time they had remaining for sea day was at a quarter to ten in the A.M. – but she took it. Since my appetite for another meal was already soured by a satisfying breakfast, I did not celebrate this part of our tradition, but did lay back and watch a movie.

Lunch and Relaxation

At about eleven-thirty I accompanied my wife and DD8 to the Anchor’s Away lounge. However, after waiting another eternity, I was given permission by my better half to go to lunch without them. Although I felt bad about abandoning them, they were enjoying themselves and I was hungry. Although the other occupants of my table inquired why I was alone (after mentioning that I was vacationing with my family), we got along famously. I am a sports fan and was following the Stanley Cup prior to our vacation, but I could not find any news about its outcome. After hearing that one of my tablemates was a sports fan from Chicago and another was from Canada, I asked them about the Playoffs – but it began a long conversation about sports (my first in almost two weeks) – something that I enjoyed (in hindsight I hope we did not spend too much time talking sports and hinder conversation with the others joining us for the meal.

[Note: I know it was a European cruise, but it would have been nice for them to show a game or two on the TVs or even on the big screen (even as a replay).]

Being our real last day of vacation, we spent this, the last afternoon, relaxing. My wife by the pool, and I on the balcony. Our DD8 spent the afternoon in her favorite place on the ship, Ocean Adventure, and our DD13 with her friend. Actually, our daughter was lost to us for the remainder of the day, spending all of her time with her shipmates, including dinner.

Last Dinner and a Double Serving of Acrobatic Entertainment

When early evening arrived, we collected our daughter from the kids club and brought her back to the room got ready for dinner. For our final dinner at the MDR, we again sat with our favorite waiters in our regular area. Dinner was okay, although definitely not my favorite of the cruise. The items I ate on that evening were as follows:

Appetizer #1: Scallops. Scallops are one of my favorite foods from the sea, and although small, they were good.

Appetizer #2: Escargot. Just as good as they were on the first night. You can say what you like about eating snails, but I like em’ – and they are not something I usually would cook in my own house (no one else would eat them).

Soup: French Onion Soup. I did not like the soup. I really like a lot of cheese well baked over a nice piece of bread with onion-laden soup within. This was a poor substitute.

Main Course #1: Leg of Lamb. I did not like it, although it seemed to be highlighted for this meal. The sauce they added to it was – in my opinion – horrible tasting. It was not sweet, it was not savory, it was herbed, I am not really sure what flavor the chef was trying to achieve with this meal. I even ordered a side of mint, but it did not help. To tell you the truth, it tasted like the sauce they put on the ribs at Boston Market. When my waiter saw that I was not eating it, he came over to inquire about it and I said I did not like it. He then went over to a nearby table where four of the six people were all having it and asked them if it was okay. They all answered, yes (in German). Maybe it was just my piece, I tried to eat as much as I could (with the mint sauce) before pushing it to the side (the second dish of this cruise that went to waste).

Main Course #2: Seafood Platter. This is a basic fish and chips dish. The quality of the fish is a lot better than you would get at most chain restaurants and dipped in a flavorful batter. It may not compare to some of the fish and chips platters I have had in England or even some good Irish pubs in New York, but it was a solid choice for an entrée.

Dessert: None. Just before we were going to order dessert, out of the corner of my eye I noticed land out on the horizon. Knowing our basic location and route of travel, I knew that we would be passing between the major islands of Sardinia (to the South, which our window was facing) and Corsica (to the North). I ran up to the top deck to take some pictures of both islands. By the time I returned, it was too late to order the final course, said my farewell and good wishes to the waiters, and went back to my room.

This was also the night of the final aerial show in the Centrum, entitled “Seasons.” Knowing that our viewing place from the previous show was a good one, we arrived about fifteen minutes prior to it began with our younger daughter. One benefit of viewing this from Deck 7 was that although we had to wait, we were able to watch all of the entertainers prepare for the upcoming performance. The show, once again, was marvelous and very entertaining. As opposed to the previous performance, it included another element; they had singers appearing on the lowest floor of the Centrum to coincide with the feats of athleticism and accompanying light show. My daughter enjoyed this show even more than the first.

Royal Caribbean had provided us with a double bill of excellent entertainment on this, our final evening on the ship. The evening’s highlighted entertainers were a pair of gymnasts (Alan and Yulia Reva) performing some amazing acrobatic feats. With a dual showing of acrobatic skill and proficiency, my younger daughter was in eight year old heaven.

My darling little girl fell asleep with a huge smile on her face. As soon as she made her ingress into the world of sleep, I took my place out on the balcony for a final evening of repose looking out at dark of the night Mediterranean sky with the ocean breeze blowing in my face, and the smell of the sea upon my nose. My stay outside was extended a bit longer this evening since my eldest child did not appear at our cabin door until almost the early morning hour of one o’clock. Unfortunately, our bonding time was unable to transpire that evening, but as a parent, I was pleased she had such a great time not only on that evening, but during the entire vacation.

A wakeup call was set to awaken us in only a few more hours, so fortunately we fell fast asleep.

Up Next . . . . A few final notes & reviews

[Travel R]

Showing the aft:

 

 

 

Looking Across Deck 10:

 

 

 

Name That Logo:

 

 

 

The sun is waking up:

 

 

 

Chair Hog Stakeout at 6:00 AM:

 

 

 

 

A lone early morning pool-goer:

 

 

[Travel R]

That statue on Deck 10 again:

 

 

 

Breakfast outside the WJ:

 

 

 

Panorama of the Mediterranean: