Two trip reports rolled into one....please bear with me....

[jackdis]

So, here goes…another report. This one will actually be two reports rolled into one. I think I shall call it "The Glory-go home and do some laundry-and onto the Pride" trip report. It's not quite a back to back, but pretty damn close in my mind.

 

But first, as always, a little background:

 

I'm actually going to start with the Pride part first. Several months ago, my family started thinking about our annual Labor Day cruise from NY to Canada. More background…the cast of characters is myself, my husband, and our two girls. We have done the NY-Canada run on Labor Day weekend the past 4 years, first on the Triumph, and then 3 times following on the Glory. Anyway, back to the part about my family and I starting planning. Clearly, it was just me doing the planning! They all simply reap the benefits of the planner/teacher/mom in me!! However, we have all enjoyed the Labor Day timeframe, kind of a "last hurrah" before school starts and part of our family traditions.

 

Well, lo and behold, as I am looking, the fares are much higher than we have paid in the past for the 4 day Canada cruise to Saint John for this holiday weekend. (Sidenote: Someday, we would love to do the 5 day to include Halifax, but usually at this point of the year, another 5 full days of vacation - Mon.-Fri. trip time - is not always possible for my husband.) More background…the original Labor Day getaway started because after looking to go to the Jersey shore for the holiday weekend., we found that the Canada cruise would be cheaper. We tried it, we liked it, and we were hooked!

 

SO…….not quite ready to commit to spending that much for the 4 day Canada trip……after all, it will be the end of August and as a teacher, the well has pretty much run dry by that point of the summer……SO…..I started to look at other options. Just a little (more!!) background…this is around the time that Carnival was running into problems with some of its ships, and I strongly feel that the media sensationalizes "news" like this and runs with it. Reporting becomes drama bordering on mini-series, and interviews about how people are terrified to cruise again, and how this has caused them to seek therapy. Anyway, I digress. So, being of the mentality that if something is going to happen, it's going to happen when it's your time, and that things will actually be safer after a situation happens that needs to address safety of passengers, and last but not least, commuting on a major highway regularly with all the construction, traffic, accidents and 18 wheelers, I can't worry about these things and need to live my life to it fullest.

 

SO……almost as many SOs in this report as background info….I apologize! But soooooo…..I started to look at other cruises within driving distance to NY. I notice the Pride out of Baltimore and there is an awesome special running at the moment. The cost is less than the 4 day to Canada. And this is a 7 day. We've never been to Grand Turk or Half Moon Cay. Freeport is the 3rd port. (Ehhhhh!) But the price is right!! I also haven't been to Baltimore, so this will be a trip of firsts. I discuss it with the husband. He's almost immediately on board with the idea! I mention it to our travel buddy. She's on board with it! (Surprise birthday present for the husband.) Talk to the girls about it. They are ready! (Well, the 14 year old had to be convinced somewhat because she was a little disappointed since she has now made friends with some of the people who like us, repeatedly travel on the Labor Day cruise to Canada.) But all in all, we are good to go, and now don't want to wish the summer away, but know that we have a great end of summer vacation planned for the family and our friends.

 

So, life is good. I start reading and planning. We surprise our friend's husband with his birthday gift. We decide to fill the time in Freeport with a dolphin adventure. We are excited. We can't wait!!!

 

Please fast forward a little bit to almost the middle of August. The husband and I are planning to go away for two nights for our anniversary. Perhaps the Sands….no, we were there in July. Let's go to Manhattan again. After all, we both love visiting the "Greatest City in the World." Two nights of hotels is the plan and we know what we will spend for a decent spot in NYC. Let's think of parking, food, anything we decide to do. Hmmmmmm…..wonder if by some chance there is a 2 night cruise out of Manhattan, as i know there has been in the past??? There's not, but there is the 4 day Canada cruise on the Glory, this time a few weeks before Labor Day, for a price so low, a price so much less than what we would pay be staying overnight twice in Manhattan, a price that, when I mention it to the husband, we are both immediately on board. She is calling our name!! We have never booked a cruise the week before, so close to sailing. Wow! And we will be getting off of one and boarding again less than a week later!! Pretty cool. We are all set for this adventure. The plan has come together. Not exactly the original plan we had, but when do plans ever fall perfectly into place really? Life would be boring then, I think!!!!

 

So……one last so….this brings us to getaway day for our anniversary trip for my husband and me. This is how relaxed the whole thing would be. The husband would work that morning. We would get over to the port a little later than normal, but still an ok time, and then it would be sailaway time!

[jackdis]

We arrived at the terminal around noon. We are platinum and were ushered right over to the VIP section. Our name was placed on a list and we were called in the order our names were listed. So far, so good. there was a few minute wait. We were called. I'm so excited at this point!!! Where were we? Oh yes, we were called. I was ready to have room keys in hand. But it wasn't meant to be, at least not at that moment. Apparently VIP cards are kept across the terminal, in another location. Seems to make more sense to me that they should be kept close, maybe in the actual VIP section??? But who am I to judge?? After about 10 minutes of waiting, we did inquire and the gentleman himself went across the terminal to get the VIP cards to bring to the VIP area. I still laugh about this. Can we say inefficient process all together??

 

But then, we board the Glory, our home for the next 4 days, without further issue. Since Faster to the Fun is offered on our ship, we can go right to the cabin to drop off our bags and rid them from our platinum bodies, so that we can go explore, get lunch and firsthand witness the new 2.0 changes since last year. She really is a nice ship. The Breeze would be my favorite - at least at the moment - with the Glory close behind. And for those of you who are wondering, the Imagination comes in a close third. Funny, I asked my husband about his thoughts of his favorites, and he came up with an almost identical list.

 

We are on the Glory! Steakhouse reservation is made for tonight. And now we are on our way to the Blue Iguana Cantina. Very nice addition to the lido area!!!

 

Up next…..the first few hours onboard, sailaway, and the Steakhouse!

[larkz]

Looking forward to the rest of your review!

[jackdis]

Thank you!!!!:)

[Ms. Fun Bunch]

Great start, waiting for more!

[silvercrikhix]

Sounds exciting.....more....more......

[jackdis]

Thank you so much! Definitely a lot more to come tonight!!!! :):)

[cjknox]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, looking forward to the rest.

[Leo's Rule]

Wait! What? That's it for now? I was reading to sink my teeth into this review. Now I must subscribe. I'm interested to hear about your cruises!!!

 

Great start by the way!

[poptart]

and where is the rest of the story????? OP left us hanging :D:eek::D

 

[jackdis]

I'm sorry! It's a work in progress, but I promise that my little fingers are typing as fast as they can. More to follow soon!! Thank you for your comments. It is greatly appreciated!!! :)

[ryem14]

Great review so far!

[kangaand2roos]

Just sailed the Glory and the Pride is up next, so interested to hear more!

[jackdis]

Thank you RYEM. Think you might need to change your ticker!!!

 

Kanga...how exciting!!! When was your Glory and when is your Pride??

[jackdis]

We went right to our cabin to drop off our carry ons and our luggage was already there!!!! That, I must say, is one of the nicest parts of the Faster to the Fun program……not that we purchased it. We are platinum, so of course, like many other people, had a slight issue with the whole premise of the FTTF program. But, I am not here to judge, complain or be mean spirited about the whole program. Honestly, I would have probably considered doing it, if it would have been available to me at that time. BUT….I love the fact that when the FTTF program is available on a ship we are sailing, we get the priority luggage service too.

 

Let me explain. We have always gotten to the ship as early as possible. I feel like that day is already the start of my vacation, from the minute - make that second - that we step foot onboard. So, having our luggage there so early gives me time to unpack and settle, and honestly, on our way to lunch, it was nice not to wonder about if our luggage arrived or if some was missing or when I would go the cabin and unpack. I really felt like it made the first day of our vacation seem even more like a nice, full, long day!

 

We saw our assistant cabin steward briefly and we were on our way. Blue Iguana was our first stop. Fantastic!! I would visit there once more before the end of the trip and wish I could have a taco with all the salsa bar choices right now. It was so fresh and perfect!!! After lunch we strolled around to see all the 2.0 upgrades. They really did a great job!! I know that our sailing was sold out, or pretty close to it, and several times, my husband and I commented on the fact that the ship felt empty. I really think that the new layout of the bars by the main pool makes the whole area feel so much more spacious, if that is possible. There are definitely more food and bar area choices, and i think that this put people in various areas of the ship, also decreasing congestion. This feeling continued on throughout the week. We never had a wait…even for Guy's great burgers….and often questioned if we really were traveling with thousands of other passengers. NIce job, Carnival!!!

 

Before lunch, we actually made our Steakhouse reservation. We had only been to the steakhouse one other time previously, in March on the Splendor. We knew at that moment we would be going on. I'm going to fast forward here, and write out of order, but we had a 7:30 reservation. Several times were available. Even when we were there, it wasn't very busy. We knew the excellent quality of service we received the last time, and this was just as good, if not better. The meal was outstanding as well. We did get the complimentary bottle of wine for booking the first night, which we did not need them to save for another night, but that option does exist, if anyone is interested. We were told to allow approximately 2-3 hours for dinner, but it wasn't that long. I would guess that we were out in about an hour and a half. After our first time at the Steakhouse on the Splendor, we already made plans to go again on the Pride. (Remember, the second part of this trip report??) So this visit on the Glory was a nice holdover until then. By the way, I had the filet and the lobster tail. Fantastic!!!

 

Back to the hours before sailaway…..we had to see the MaitreD because since we booked so close to last minute, we were waitllisted for Your Time dining. We found out when we got our Sail and Sign cards (from the employee that had to practically go on a scavenger hunt to find them in the terminal!!) that we had late seating. Not the worst thing in the world. We actually used to always do that. We liked the feeling of not rushing our day to get ready for dinner. But then we tried Your Time and have been very lucky with it. The switch was made without any problem.

 

We checked out some other new areas on the ship. The Alchemy Bar was really nice. We would spend many a night having evening martinis there! We went over to the spa. We had been there before but were secretly hoping they put in a Thalossotherapy Pool without telling anyone. Well, they didn't, and please forgive me for totally misspelling that!! We were also hoping by some miracle to have the aromatherapy steam rooms and hot stone chairs like they did on the Dream and the Breeze, and guess what???? They didn't!! Sorry!!

 

So we decided to put on our bathing suits and head over to Serenity for a little while before the ship left the "Greatest City in the World." (Can you believe we have done all this and it's not even time to sail away yet? See what I mean about the luggage getting there nice and early?? I know it's not a text, but this is where I would insert a LOL!!)

 

We truly enjoyed our time sitting under the clamshell lounger, looking at the skyline and skyscrapers. It was practically empty up at Serenity, and it was hot!!! I must say, we have experienced all kinds of weather on our sailing to Canada around this time of year, or more precisely, during our Labor Day weekend trip. We have had it in the 80s and 90s, feeling like a Caribbean cruise. We have also sailed right ahead of a hurricane and had 60s and rain. The weather on this trip was absolutely perfect! It was sunny and warm for our first at sea day. It was even in the high 70s and sunny on our Saint John day. On our at sea headed home day, it was a foggy in the morning but the sun came though by about lunchtime and it was a nice day again. We were very fortunate this trip!

 

We headed back to the cabins before safety drill to change out of our bathing suits. We met our cabin steward briefly. I must say ALL the staff was OUTSTANDING this trip. I feel like I say that all the time. We have really been lucky, but the Glory staff and crew really exceeded my expectations and outdid themselves, which I did not think would be possible.

 

Safety drill was uneventful. We truly enjoyed every moment of sailaway. We love NYC and live close enough that we get into Manhattan often. We have sailed out of NYC many times. And each time, I am truly left breathless by the beauty of the City. I really wanted to savor the moment and found myself feeling like it was the first time I sailed out of NY, which as corny as it sounds, happens to me every time. We had the added bonus of the sun shining down on us and all the beautiful surroundings we were in!! We missed the girls already, made our last phone calls to them before cell phones began to roam and got turned off, and then, as we were sailing out on our adventure, headed to the casino. (Weren't expecting that, were you???)

 

Before dinner, we just wandered around a little bit. I can't remember if we visited the Taste Bar this night. It is now where the sushi used to be. (Sorry sushi lovers! My husband was sad about this!) We got dressed up and had that fantastic meal I mentioned above, and then went to the Welcome Aboard Show. Cruise Director Jacques did a great job,and was a really nice person. We were excited to find out that Hasbro would be on our five day sailing. (We were unsure of this.) We went back to the casino for a little bit, had our first visit to Alchemy, and called it a night. It was a great first day!!

 

UP NEXT…our first day at sea….room service as a wake up call does NOT always work….and is much needed with an inside cabin!!

[kangaand2roos]

 

Kanga...how exciting!!! When was your Glory and when is your Pride??

 

Glory was August 5-10. Pride not until Feb 9! I'm in the middle of a Glory report right now. Also posting it in pieces.

[kangaand2roos]

Which dates did you sail?

[jackdis]

Aug 15 Glory! Just missed you by a few days!

[jackdis]

Friday, Sea Day

Before I start the day's events, just a little cabin selection background: When we cruise, most often we end up getting a balcony stateroom. It is nice to have a little extra room to move, especially when it's the four of us, and I love to have that view and feeling of open air and sea. We have booked suites, ocean view cabins, and when it's just my husband and me, we have found the porthole cabins to be great for us. We have also been in an interior, or inside, cabin, or "the cave" as I think I referred to it in one of my earlier trip reports. (Shameless plug. Please see my signature for other trip reports written by yours truly.)

 

Since this trip came about so last minute, and since the price was incredibly right, we booked an interior cabin. (Secretly, we were looking forward to the nice, dark, A/C induced cool sleeping conditions.) We knew what to expect. Cell phones handy to check the time, since the husband only brought his empty watch case…watch left at home, check…..we also ordered coffee delivery the night before to make sure that we did not sleep our first sea day away. Thank goodness for the cell phone alarm I had also set, because the coffee showed up one hour later. I had actually gotten up, tried to call and cancel the order. (The room service extension just rang and rang.) I had made my way up to the lido for some OJ and a few pastries (mimosa time!) and had returned, we had some goodies (and drinks! Cheers!) and gotten ready to start our day when there was a knock at the door. Our coffee arrived, along with an apology that they were running a little late this morning. No harm done. No long winded, drawn out saga of how this ruined my whole entire cruise. (Wink, wink.) But a lesson to all…..don't rely on breakfast delivery as a wake up call.

 

After our coffee, we went to Cruise Director Jacques' Fun Ashore and Fun Aboard talk. It wasn't very long. Twenty five minutes, as he promised. We were only docking in one port! Even though we were familiar with the Glory and Saint John, we enjoyed his chat. I must say that Jacques did a fantastic job. He had a very nice way about him. It was a pleasure getting to meet him.

 

Afterwards, we went to brunch at the Punchliner Comedy Club. I really like the brunch selections. Since we always have breakfast in the dining room, instead of at the buffet, we also like this option, especially since it runs through the early afternoon. It's nice to know we can start our day off a little later and have a sit-down breakfast.

 

We both entered the slot tournament. We didn't win. (But my husband actually did win in March on the Splendor!!!) Then we decided to get changed and to go to the adult aft pool and grab some loungers and enjoy some time in the sun.

 

Now let me begin by saying, when the four of us travel together, we usually USE one chair….yes, USE. There's no reason for each of us to have or need a chair. The rest of the family is usually swimming and I'm mostly tanning, reading and watching belongings, minus the occasional dip in the pool. Now also let me add that chair hoggers annoy the you know what out of my husband and me, and usually we just ignore it, but have been known to just move over whatever "prop" we see after about 30 minutes (towel, book, empty suntan container, etc.) I then sit, enjoy the sun, and have always returned the "props" back to their original location before I leave, never to see the person who probably woke up at the crack of dawn to claim their section (not spot!!!)and we're all happy.

 

So this afternoon, I wanted to actually sit with my husband together for a little bit. It was our anniversary!!! So we were on the search for two chairs. He didn't really want to sit. He was headed to the pool. But I thought it would be nice. No seats were to be found anywhere. And then I saw it. The older couple, sitting at a table for two, right next to FOUR loungers with towels thrown over them. The usual conversation followed. "Are these your chairs? Yes. Are you using all of them? Yes." OK….I started to watch. They then took one of the regular table chairs and laid it over one of the lounger chairs, as if it was a person now sitting in the seat. They couldn't fool me. A lady nearby…the fifth chair over….told me no one had been there for an hour. So then I eavesdropped on the couple's conversation and heard that the "kids" were at the wine pairing, which by the way, I knew was just starting. Are you kidding me?? At this point I went over and again asked about the chairs, especially with my newfound bits of information. The woman, grudgingly told me I could have ONE chair. I told her not to worry. I would "give it back" when her family arrived, (Her husband came over and said it was totally ok with him if we used the chairs. Ha ha. Just another man afraid of his wife, I guess!!) So I sat in my ONE lounger. My husband pulled over another table chair. No big deal. We enjoyed our time there and were on our way. BUT…for the record, we were there for two hours and the mystery occupants of the four loungers, once of which I was using, never returned. Ahhh…..happens all the time and I'm not letting it ruin my day.

 

 

Maybe this was the day we tried the taste bar. I'm not sure. We got ready for dinner. Formal night. We had a nice meal service, complete with the MaitreD, Csaba, and servers singing to us for our anniversary, and then we just enjoyed the evening. The Playlist Productions Show was Motor City. We did not go, since we had seen it before on the Breeze, but we went to the adult comedy show instead. The comedian, Mark Simmons, was very funny. We visited the casino a little, headed over to Alchemy, and called it a night.

 

In hindsight, I wish we saw Motor City again, but I'm glad we got to see the comedian. I was looking forward to Latin Nights, the other playlist production that would be another night, and was disappointed, but more about that on that day's entry. But I will end this entry with this: Tonight I had a "healing martini" at the Alchemy Bar. The first time I had a French martini. They were both excellent. I loved the whole feel of the Alchemy Bar, including the light up menus. But let's just say, my "healing martini" didn't live up to its name. More about that to follow…..

[jackdis]

Update:

 

First of all, please let me take a minute to apologize and explain…..I didn't forget about this trip report. I was on the Pride!!!! We just got back a few days ago, school has started, so I was at sea for a week and this has been quite a hectic week!! I promise to wrap up the Glory part soon and start the Pride part of the review. Just a little preview……I'm thinking the Pride has become my number two favorite ship, or at least has tied with the Glory!!! Stay tuned for more shortly!!!

[jackdis]

Saturday, Saint John

 

When I left off, I mentioned the "healing martini" I had at the Alchemy Bar the night before. By NO MEANS do I think the martini did this to me, but unfortunately, I woke up in Saint John with a terrible headache. More like a migraine, which got worse and worse as the day went on. I was disappointed, since I really love the port of Saint John. It is such a beautiful place, filled with friendly people. Our plan was to walk around, meet a friend who lives there at the Ale House for lunch, visit the City Market, which I love, and of course, O'Leary's Pub. The best laid plans……

 

I slept while the husband had breakfast. I was able to make it off the ship to see my friend. A little advice when setting up a meeting time with anyone in Saint John. Make sure they realize you are staying on ship time. Sorry to my friends for making them wait an hour. I only stayed a little bit, since I was feeling pretty nauseous by this point, too. But if anyone is looking for a nice place to sit and have a meal or some nice beers, the Saint John Ale House is a great meeting spot.

 

I went back onboard. My husband got to enjoy Saint John alone for a few hours. I'm so disappointed that I wasn't able to spend more time in this hidden gem of a port, especially since I'm hearing that the Canada runs might not be continuing in the future. But I am planning ahead. I definitely need a do over of Saint John and the next time, I would love to sit and listen to some music on the patio right across from the ship. A young guy was singing there and he sounded great, despite my throbbing headache.

 

My husband picked up the girls some souvenirs, and came back to check on me. We went to dinner and I was still feeling pretty lousy. But I must say, I started feeling good again sometime after dinner. We went to Jacques' Love and Marriage show. He really did a nice job with that, too. We've seen it many times, but he made it funny and interesting. He really has a nice way about him. I guess my body just needed a good old day of rest. Of course after the Love and Marriage show, I was finally hungry and some pizza did the trick and we called it a night. (*Casino visit(s) made but not recorded!)

[jackdis]

Last day, at sea

 

The last day at sea was a good day. We just relaxed and tried to enjoy as much as possible before returning to NYC. We slept in and went to the Punchliner's Brunch one last time. We went to Hasbro the Game Show. I didn't get picked this time, but husband did the first day they had it, so we watched and enjoyed. We went to the Playlist Production show, Latin Nights.

 

We also relaxed by the pool a little again. It was foggy in the morning, but by early afternoon, the sun came out. It was a beautiful day!

 

Debark and final thoughts……

 

We really had a nice trip, as always. Debark was smooth and painless. We had a little bit of a walk to our car, since we weren't docked at the same pier as where we left, but no big deal. We couldn't wait to get home and see the girls. We got off the ship Monday and met a friend in the CIty, and before we knew it, we were home.

 

We had a few days at home, and would be leaving in less than a week for our family, end of summer trip aboard the Pride. Report Part Two to follow!!!!

[jackdis]

PART TWO, THE DAY BEFORE THE PRIDE:

 

This trip was a lot of firsts for us. It was going to be our first time on the Pride, our first Labor Day weekend in a few years not in the vicinity of Canada, our first visits to Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay, and our first dolphin experience. It would also be our first visit to Baltimore, MD. Our ship was sailing on Sunday, but we decided to head down to Baltimore on Saturday. It was about a 4 hour drive for us, with several stops. (I'm more of a let's get to where we are going with as few stops as possible kind of person, but I was outnumbered by family members who wanted to stop along the way!) All was still good, and despite a few stops and some traffic, we made it the hotel by mid afternoon.

 

We checked into a Fairfield Inn about 15 minutes from the port and 15 minutes from the Inner Harbor. Our hotel package included parking for the week while we were on the cruise, breakfast the next morning and shuttle service to and from the port. We checked in and the kids enjoyed the (outdoor!) pool and hot tub while we waited for our friends to arrive. After a not so quick dinner by the hotel, we went over to explore the Inner Harbor area that night. I really hope to get back to the Baltimore area in the future and spend some more time there.

 

But at this point, it was bedtime. Big day ahead tomorrow………

[jackdis]

CARNIVAL PRIDE - Finally!!!!!

 

The day had arrived! We were boarding the Pride! I couldn't wait for this, from the moment we booked this cruise. But since it was at the end of the summer, I tried not to wish it to get here too fast, since that would mean back to school for all of us!!!

 

Since I haven't been very prompt with keeping this review moving, I'm going to try to wrap up this Pride part pretty quickly. Sorry to anyone out there who thinks I have forgotten about you. (Back to school has left me with limited free time!) I will give overall views on the ship, and go port by port for this one, and then some ending thoughts.

 

The Pride is an absolutely beautiful ship!!!! It's my new second favorite, after the Breeze!! It's narrower, to fit the Panama Canal, and longer, I think. It's the largest in the class that can go through the Canal. It's decor is very different from the other ships we have been on. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I loved it!! It's very European looking. She's got lots of nooks and crannies to explore. Lots of quiet, out of the way areas. Yes, lots of nakedness, as people have mentioned in various reviews, but such a beautiful ship.

 

And David's Steakhouse is exquisite! Of course, the food and service is spectacular, but the actual space is amazing!! It is a two story steakhouse with the glass elevators opening right to the top floor, where we were seated. Our reservation was for 6pm and the light of the sun starting to set just made the whole space light up in such a beautiful way! The steakhouse is located near the signature Carnival funnel on every ship, so it is enclosed by glass and just breathtaking. The artwork in the steakhouse is also exquisite. I've only been to 3 different steakhouses onboard Carnival ships so far, but this is by far, the most beautiful one I have been to. Even if you don't eat there, you should be sure to check it out. And yes, a replica of the David statue will be greeting you when you get off the elevator, so be prepared!!!

 

The Cruise Director, Josh Waitzman (Big Sexy) and his entertainment staff (insert shout out to Sassy and Kelli here!!) were fantastic, along with all the productions shows we saw. I was glad that this ship had not gone 2.0 yet. While I missed the Blue Iguana and Guy's Burgers, I would trade the live orchestra for the shows and the stage full of dancers and singers for these 2.0 additions anyway! There was a juggler one evening who we had seen before. Fantastic! Comedy shows were great. And we also participated in Quest……not for the easily offended. The hubby was Sinatra in the Legends show. Great performance! I still get the goosebumps when I think back to people spontaneously starting to clap right in the beginning moments of the song, while he was singing, when they heard how great he sounded!!!!! Public apology to my Frankie that I did not make it to the meet and greet in the atrium area with him and the other performers. The fantastic staff had come to say goodbye to us in the theater since it was the last night of our sailing, and by the time I made my way to my old blue eyes, he was coming back to the theater, with his wonderful dance partner from the production shows.

 

We had early seating dining for this trip, and the service was top notch there as well. Thank you to Marko and his team!! We have been very lucky and have had outstanding service on each and every sailing we have been on. Just when we think it can't possibly get any better, it always does!

 

The ports for this sailing were Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Freeport. Up next, I will give our highlights of each one!!!

[jackdis]

I MIUST APOLOGIZE! I am one of those unfinished trip reports that leave people hanging. I'm so sorry. Back to school has kept me quite busy, along with the trials and tribulations of everyday life. I will try my best to wrap this baby up in the next few days.

 

Grand Turk: We had beautiful weather here. We walked around the port area and checked out the beach close to the ship. We met a friend for lunch, who was also in port that day, which was super exciting for us! I would LOVE to come back to GT someday and explore a little bit. We did a quick walk through of Margaritaville. Jack's Shack is still on my list of places to visit!

 

Half Moon Cay: Simply amazing!! I had heard so many great things about this place. And it was all true!!! We booked a deluxe (two story) villa for this day….the cabanas were all sold out. It was soooo nice!!! A/C, hot tub, private bath…..with those to die for views. Truly a paradise and wonderful beach. Would I book the villa again? YES!!! But I would also be ok with just getting a cabana, if one were available. We had a little rain when we first got to HMC, but we were fine, especially with our (obnoxiously large!) villa. BBQ lunch was actually very tasty and hit the spot for our nice, relaxing beach day. I cannot wait to go back there again!

 

Freeport: We did the Dolphin Adventure excursion through the cruise line. It was wonderful!!!! There was actually a lot of time with the dolphins, and we enjoyed it just as much as the kids did! The only problem we encountered was that upon our return to the shop where you could purchase pictures, there was an "Internet problem on the island." (Let me clearly point out that there was a printer problem as well!!) Anyway, we were waiting and waiting to get out pictures, the bus driver was getting impatient, we got 3 of our group members' pictures - finally! Except, we did not get one for our youngest daughter, who this adventure was mainly for!!! I felt so bad because I know just how much this was the highlight of her trip and wanted her to have the picture, not me!!! But it all worked out in the end. I was able to get in touch with the company from home and they were able to locate her photo and mail it to us not too long after we returned home!!! Success!!!

 

Up next: Final thoughts!!!