NAVIGATOR Trip Report with PHOTOS--March 12, 2017

[Dan-P]

Checked on my phone with the app, and still no go on the pics. Here's how it appears on the app:

 

 

Dan.

[kwazi07]

I've gotten it figured out; I'll just post the pics on Tapatalk like I initially did.

 

Sorry for the photo issues. I've reposted the pics and text here, please tell me if there are any further issues!

 

 

After muster we ran back to the room as we were departing at 5 and muster ended at 4:45. I quickly got dressed for dinner so I wouldn't miss a minute of the sailaway.

 

We had specifically picked a port side balcony room so we could wave to South Beach as we left. We've visited SoBe twice and watched the ships leave, so it was really nice to be on the other side :) I was worried that since early seating is now at 5:30, we wouldn't be able to see South Beach, but since we didn't have to turn around we juuuuust sailed past South Beach at 5:30. Sadly, it was a little cloudy, but I still loved the views of Miami anyways.

 

 

Nice houses!

 

 

 

Bye South Beach!

 

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[kwazi07]

Sorry everyone for the confusion! I really hope this works now, I'm a little frustrated.

[riclop]

Thanks for the report.

[Dan-P]

Sorry everyone for the confusion! I really hope this works now, I'm a little frustrated.

 

All good now with the last post. Thanks!!!

 

Dan.

[kwazi07]

Here's the food pics.

 

 

 

 

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[kwazi07]

After dinner we decided to go back to the room real quick to change into more comfortable shoes before walking around the ship. There we saw a cool view of the disappearing Miami skyline.

 

We walked through the parts of the ship we couldn’t get to before the ship left, like the helipad.

 

We departed on a full moon, but the clouds obscured half of the moon, which looked pretty cool!

 

The welcome aboard show was at 9:30 and it was around 8:50. We didn’t have anything else planned and we thought the theater would be crowded, so we decided to relax in the theater with some coffee and wait for the show to start. We were the first ones there.

 

The welcome aboard show was kind of disappointing. Cuddy (the CD) came out first. He was great on stage, but lackluster any other time, in my opinion (more on that later). Then, they had a comedian, Tom McGillen. He was only okay. I wished he would have shortened the bit about Irish people and Michigan, and instead focused on more broad comedy or cruise related jokes. I wasn’t really impressed. I also expected there to be singing and dancing, but there was none. It was definitely the most disappointing of any of the opening night shows I’ve seen.

 

We loved watching the ship navigation channel. It also played music (“I Want it That Way” by Backstreet Boys when this photo was taken). Some good, some cringy.

 

My sister and I wanted dessert from room service around 11pm so we placed an order on the TV for a slice of cheesecake. The confirmation call didn’t come for a while, but when it did my sister picked up, and for some reason said okay to the wait being an hour. Not wanting to stay up for another hour for a slice of cheesecake, we called back to cancel the order. We thought everything was well so we went to bed...NOT. I sleep like a log, so I only had a brief memory of the ‘incident’ but my mom filled me in the next day. So, here’s what I perceived from the sofa bed vs. real life…

 

Me: phone rings. Whatever. Back to sleep.

 

Reality: 12:05 am. Room service is calling again! Mom says order is cancelled, they say okay.

 

Me: knocking on door? Zzz.

 

Reality: crew member with cheesecake knocking on door! My mother couldn’t see outside of the peephole (I’m 5’11 and it’s just below eye level for me, she’s 5’1), so she drags a chair over to the door and sees cheesecake, and asks crew member to leave.

 

Me: hears another phone call.

 

Reality: room service calling AGAIN. My sister picks it up and hangs up immediately.

 

While I wasn’t too disturbed, I can see how this was annoying for my family. Whats even more unbelievable is that my brother ordered a steak sandwich, honey stung chicken, and cookies the next night and gets it in 25 minutes. Love our luck!

 

Well, that just about sums up day one. See you guys tomorrow for day two, Nassau!

 

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[Clarea]

I've gotten it figured out; I'll just post the pics on Tapatalk like I initially did.

 

Sorry for the photo issues. I've reposted the pics and text here, please tell me if there are any further issues!

Photos look great now.:)

[kwazi07]

DAY 2: NASSAU

 

Our family likes to get up early, so we woke up at 6:30. We were scheduled to dock in Nassau at 9, so when we woke up we were still underway. This made for some nice sunrise photos!

 

 

 

 

 

We went up the the Windjammer around 7. It wasn’t crowded at all. We had an awesome view of Nassau from the panoramic windows in the Windjammer.

 

 

The food in the Windjammer was just okay. The eggs had an odd texture (the freshly made omelets are MUCH better), but I love the hashbrowns and pastries. I saw they offered congee (there seemed to be a large amount of Chinese passengers), which I had never tried before. I put some of it over the fried rice they also offered, and it was actually pretty interesting. SUPER garlicky, but I enjoyed it. I would recommend trying it if it’s offered!

 

I love walking around ships in the morning...they're always so uncrowded and pleasant!

 

 

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[kwazi07]

Three other ships were in port with us: the Carnival Elation, Disney Magic, and Allure. We felt huge until Allure pulled in!

 

Pulling in...

 

The Elation. Our first cruise was on Paradise, sister ship of Elation and we dwarfed it!

 

Disney Magic pulling in...I must go on DCL one day! Their announcements onboard are preceded by the first notes of "When You Wish Upon a Star"!

 

Allure! Gotta go on one of the Oasis class ships one day too...

 

Disney Magic docked.

 

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[kwazi07]

Since we docked around 8:30, we were actually able to get off the ship a little before 9! Disembarkation was super easy. There was no line and we basically walked right off.

 

I got a pretty cool shot of Allure that shows its sheer size. I couldn’t get any pics of Navigator in the morning because of the way the Nassau pier is set up, but I did get some great pics on the way back in the afternoon!

 

 

Last time we went to Nassau we had a pretty ‘meh’ time. We walked to Queen’s Staircase and Fort Fincastle, got caught in the rain, and went to the Straw Market. We weren’t impressed. So, this time we wanted a laid back day with something to do in the morning before getting back on the ship for a mini “sea day”. So we planned to go to Ardastra Gardens, a small zoo and gardens about one and a half miles from the port.

 

 

Instead of walking we rode a “Jitney Bus”, which is only $1.25 each way! It seemed a little sketchy, but the driver was really friendly. The bus stop is only a short walk from the dock--once you get to Bay Street from the port area turn right and walk until you see a lineup of buses on your left. Ask to go to Ardastra and they’ll put you on a bus! *The door of the bus was open the whole time and the seats had seen better days, but it was so cheap and fast.

 

 

 

 

They dropped us off down the hill from Ardastra. The zoo has signs along the walk so you know where you were going.

 

 

Almost there!

 

 

 

 

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[Toranut97]

I enjoy reading accounts of peoples' trips, and I must say I am so enjoying yours! We have never sailed RCI, preferring smaller ships - but we are older folks. Your viewpoint is fresh, and you are an adventurous and sophisticated young traveler! Your family should be very proud!

 

 

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[carnivalbuny]

We're due to sail the same itinerary this Sunday and I'm really enjoying your reviews. Looking forward to more!

[kwazi07]

I enjoy reading accounts of peoples' trips, and I must say I am so enjoying yours! We have never sailed RCI, preferring smaller ships - but we are older folks. Your viewpoint is fresh, and you are an adventurous and sophisticated young traveler! Your family should be very proud!

 

 

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Thank you! I'm glad you are enjoying! I can see the value in small ships, it's nice not having SO MUCH to do. Our possible next cruise we are planning will either be a Celebrity cruise or one on Oasis--very different experiences!

We're due to sail the same itinerary this Sunday and I'm really enjoying your reviews. Looking forward to more!

Thank you so much! More will come tonight or tomorrow! I am so jealous...I love Navigator!

 

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[Johnamac123]

Deleted.

[Johnamac123]

Correction: Cannot see photos from posts 13-22. All others are fine.

[kwazi07]

Correction: Cannot see photos from posts 13-22. All others are fine.

Yep, that's where I had issues...all else should be golden!

[VPIcruiser]

We took the bus a few years ago and were so surprised when it stopped for gas! But, we got to our destination safely and cheaply. On the way back, there were several kids riding home from school.

[kwazi07]

We took the bus a few years ago and were so surprised when it stopped for gas! But, we got to our destination safely and cheaply. On the way back, there were several kids riding home from school.

That's funny! It's certainly an experience, but at no point did I feel unsafe. Felt safer on the bus than I did in the backseat of a Cozumel taxi with three other people and no seatbelts on my first cruise ;)

 

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[kwazi07]

When we arrived at Ardastra we were greeted by a friendly worker who took the admission fee ($19 for adults). We got there around 9:45 so we decided to slowly walk to the back of the zoo before the 10:30 flamingo show.

 

Now, this zoo is not some world class zoo--it’s mostly small tropical animals in a cool tropical landscape. However, it was very enjoyable! It was a really relaxing day...there were just over a dozen tourists visiting when we were there. Some exhibits were closed due to restoration from Hurricane Matthew, but there were no major closures.

 

Macaw showing off.

 

Meerkats!

 

Some type of monkey, I forgot it's species.

 

Cute goat.

 

Cool plant.

 

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[kwazi07]

Ardastra is somewhat famous for their flamingo shows. They have them three times a day and we caught the 10:30 one. The 'flamingo arena' is quite large, especially considering there were only about a dozen people in the zoo.

 

Basically, the show consists of slightly trained flamingos parading around the arena. They listened to the commands from the handler, and paraded themselves around. A man was speaking on a microphone about flamingos, but we found it difficult to hear him.

 

The show was so kitchy but I liked it. At the end of the show they have a photo op where you can enter the arena and the flamingos will surround you! It's pretty cool. I'll post a pic of me with them later on--those pics aren't on my phone. I do however, have a few pics of the birds!

 

Peacock "preshow".

 

Here they are!

 

The bird with its wings spread in the background was pretty fiesty. He got mad at the other birds when they fell behind, but frequently did so himself!

 

A little closer...

 

 

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[kwazi07]

After the flamingo show, it was time for the lorikeet bird feeding. These are not my favorite birds. They are very noisy and kind of annoying. But still, I thought it was really fun to feed them!

 

A worker came to the lorikeet cage at 11 with a bucket of apples. She was really friendly and informed us a little about the lorikeets. One thing I found interesting was that they feed only on the juice in the apples, so they drop the fiber out of their mouths. The worker was pretty strict on collecting the apple skins after the birds finished munching, but still offered us many more pieces of apples to keep feeding the birds.

 

Immediately upon walking into the cage, a bird landed on my head! It spooked me a little at first but was actually really cool. It really felt like a moment out of one of Royal's "Come Seek" commercials--I'm pretty sure a bird lands on a lady's head in one!

 

I started to feed the bird, but the apple fibers started to fall on my head. The worker brushed them off my head which was a little weird but friendly I guess and said that if you want the birds off your head, simply hold your arm out and they'll fly down.

 

 

Two friends!

 

 

 

 

 

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[kwazi07]

After a few apple slices worth of bird feedings I was finished with feeding the birds--more visitors wanted to feed the birds. I'm glad that I stopped when I did, as I got to witness a bird pooping on my sister's arm. It was really gross, so it necessitated a run to the bathroom. It's good luck I guess!

 

We walked around the zoo for a little more just to see the parts we hadn't covered. Overall we really liked Ardastra. The grounds were kept up well, and I liked how it was a little off the beaten path. I am not really a huge fan of Nassau, but this stop actually made Nassau a port I really enjoyed! It was the underdog of the cruise. Good job Nassau.

 

We room the bus back to the port as well. If you want to take the bus back just go back the way you came, but cross the street where the bus dropped you off. Remember, they drive on the left! We basically waved down a bus and they stopped--there don't seem to be many official stops.

 

This bus was a little nicer but once we got to the downtown area the driver went faster and at one point there was both a downhill area and a curve. It felt a bit like a roller coaster ride...it was fun!

 

My sister wanted to get her hair braided so we used the "certified hair braiders" just inside the port area that we used on our last cruise.

 

On the way back to the 'Gator I was able to get some nice pics of the port area, the Disney Wonder, and Navigator.

 

 

Mine.

 

Fun fact: DCL had to add this "ducktail" for stability when they added new venues to the ship. One of those venues being Tiana's Place, the restaurant from Princess and the Frog (favorite Disney princess movie). I need to get those beignets and on DCL in general, huge Disnerd here...

 

Allure's aft (actually taken from the helipad).

 

Speaking of Allure, the line to get back on the ship was MONSTROUS around one. I think they left around 1:30 (super short port stop considering we were docked before them).

 

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[kwazi07]

Once we were back on the ship we went to our room to drop off the bags before lunch in the Windjammer.

 

Lunch was average, the status quo with the Windjammer. It was pleasantly uncrowded and we had really nice views of sunny Nassau (a contrast to Miami the day before).

 

Excuse the sideways pic. I loved how the WJ was aft--much better views and less movement than all the way forward on Enchantment.

 

I do have to say, the service was good in the Windjammer. They were always offering coffee and drinks and were on top of your dirty dishes. I was also amused by the "washy washy" man in the morning...I'm preeeety sure he was on my Enchantment cruise but I'm not positive.

 

My siblings and I finished lunch before our parents so we decided to go up to the sports deck to play mini golf. The views were awesome, and I won :)

 

 

 

We also had a spontaneous table tennis competition, which I did NOT win.

 

We wanted to go swimming without the crowds of people, so we changed real quick and hit the pool. The water was cold but refreshing and I LOVED the two big hot tubs under the cover.

 

Before the cruise I was really excited to finally be "allowed" to swim in the Solarium. But guess what? I never did. Swimming on this cruise wasn't a top priority--it was cold for my Floridian blood! Plus, the Solariums on Vision/Radiance/Oasis seem a lot nicer than those on Voyager/Freedom.

 

 

Our dad met us up on the sports deck so he could get us registered for all of the activities that the ship offered. It was really easy and fast. I do wish we had the opportunity to sign the waivers online as I did not enjoy standing in the sun.

 

I went to the room to change out of my bathing suit and into tennis shoes so I could do the rock wall. I've done rock walls on land, but haven't done one on a ship. It was much scarier than I thought. The climbing itself wasn't hard, but I got freaked out at the height and the wind. I couldn't help from looking down and seeing the sports court, and just a few feet away, the water. Sadly I did not make it to the top, and I didn't try the wall for the rest of the cruise. Maybe next time!

 

I went back to the room to start to get ready for formal night. I relished in the few quiet moments on the balcony without family members for just a few moments before my mom came back from the gym. My sister came back in a rock wall buzz a few minutes later, and serenity was gone again. Oh well.

 

Up next: formal night!

 

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[ansugabe]

You are officially my favorite CC poster. Now I have to go through and see what else you have posted. Today's productivity level on a scale of 1-10 will be a -3.

 

 

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