(Slightly less so) Cheapo dad's trip report on Independence of the Seas

[harryfat1]

 

 

 

 

[dr_truth]

Looks like you were right next to where we were in the Bungalows! I just looked through my pics to see if your crew was in the background of any--you weren't :)

We didn't see any of those jellyfish. Thank goodness! (though better to see and avoid than not to see and get stung of course)

[harryfat1]

We tried to take several selfie shots with the water proof camera. Harder to do as it’s smaller and you don’t see the screen of the picture like you would with a cell phone. In theory the Samsung is rated to be water resistant but their web site says don’t expose it to salt water so we kept the cell phones back on the ship.

 

 

 

 

Debating whether or not to have this picture below as my default avatar picture instead of the Utah Arch picture

 

 

 

 

 

The kids and brother in law started to build a big sand pile

 

 

[harryfat1]

Looks like you were right next to where we were in the Bungalows! I just looked through my pics to see if your crew was in the background of any--you weren't :)

We didn't see any of those jellyfish. Thank goodness! (though better to see and avoid than not to see and get stung of course)

 

Yeah, I had read previous reports of these guys being around so I was on the lookout for them as soon as we hit the water. I spotted total of 3 and had them removed.

 

That location is about the same location as the one we did for the Allure. I like it. Close to bathroom and food place and plenty of shade.

[harryfat1]

Public Service Announcement - I will be out at a family birthday event rest of the afternoon and dinner. So no picture uploads until very late. No need to "check regularly" for updates until tomorrow...

[Coralc]

I don't think that is a jellyfish, Harry. It has no way to sting anyone because it has no tentacles. It looks more like a sea slug. IMO. :)

[dr_truth]

I don't think that is a jellyfish, Harry. It has no way to sting anyone because it has no tentacles. It looks more like a sea slug. IMO. :)

We were wondering that too! Sometimes it is super hard to see the tentacles (they are so fine), but whoever picked it up doesn't seem to be concerned...

[cloud7cruise]

Now that you are in Labadee in your trip report, I find it is fitting that I'm catching up on the report from my resort room in Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic next door to Haiti. I just woke up in my room in the resort here and my wife and daughter are no where to be found. I tried standing up but thought it would be better to stay horizontal for another half another before venturing out if my room to attempt to find my family in the rest of the resort. I guess I passed out after having too an afternoon at the pool and having too much rum in my system. Great report so far. Keep it coming for the next time I have too much alcohol in me. 😁

[PhoenixCruiser]

Loved the feet photo!! I say alternate between the two pictures.

[BigHouseFootball]

Harry, your reviews are you absolute favorite here at CC. I love them and learn so much from them!

[harryfat1]

I don't think that is a jellyfish, Harry. It has no way to sting anyone because it has no tentacles. It looks more like a sea slug. IMO. :)

 

We were wondering that too! Sometimes it is super hard to see the tentacles (they are so fine), but whoever picked it up doesn't seem to be concerned...

 

It may very well be a sea slug as the jelly fish I have seen at the Monterey aquarium doesn't look like this. But as I didn't know what it was, figure I ask the life guard guy there to scoop it up from the beach area and get rid of it. The picture is from the guy's hand before he tossed it in a bucket nearby.

 

Wouldn't surprise me if he tosses it back after we leave for the day and the sucker washes up the next day for next round of RCI passengers to get all excited over...

[harryfat1]

Now that you are in Labadee in your trip report, I find it is fitting that I'm catching up on the report from my resort room in Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic next door to Haiti. I just woke up in my room in the resort here and my wife and daughter are no where to be found. I tried standing up but thought it would be better to stay horizontal for another half another before venturing out if my room to attempt to find my family in the rest of the resort. I guess I passed out after having too an afternoon at the pool and having too much rum in my system. Great report so far. Keep it coming for the next time I have too much alcohol in me. 😁

 

Maybe you have to be really intoxicated to understand all my blabbering and sees the hidden messages I embedded in some of my pictures...;p

 

Enjoy your stay at Dominican Republic.

[harryfat1]

Loved the feet photo!! I say alternate between the two pictures.

 

It's not as easy as it sounds to coordinate 4 people's feet to be up above water the same time and then hold that position with a ship in the background to a pictures with waves moving the bodies and camera. Had to do few takes before getting one that was ok. We were all laughing as we trying to line up as any given second, someone's foot is not in sync.

 

These are the kinds of simple yet zero dollar fun expenditures we experienced during the cruise. Don't need to spend $$ to have fun.

[harryfat1]

Harry, your reviews are you absolute favorite here at CC. I love them and learn so much from them!

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for the compliment. Glad my info is helpful. Not as if I have many creative ideas on my own, I just read enough of other people's ideas and combine those ideas together and called it mine. Same thing I do on my photos in stealing other people's great photos...

[harryfat1]

OK, more Labadee beach pics

 

 

 

Looking up at the tree above me

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

The brother in law got a floating mat from someone that didn't want it anymore and the kids were playing with it for awhile

 

 

So after playing in the water, I looked at the watch and it was almost time for the early lunch. Now typically I don’t go for an early lunch but from my experience on the Allure, the later you go, the longer the potential line will form. Besides, with the Noro scare still in place as this was only day 3 of the cruise, the thought is to eat early before other folks touch it.

 

With that in mind, I went first to grab the food so there would be someone here to watch things when the wife and boys go grab their food.

 

Lunch area at 11:33 AM. People just started to line up

 

 

Our waiter from MDR, Jesus, is here. He is the guy with the back toward the camera on the left

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

 

Fruit area before people put their hands all over it and mess it up

 

 

 

As always, you get to see my lunch

 

 

They have tables and chairs by the buffet area is you want to eat there instead of walking back to the beach chair. But how often do you get to have beach view with your lunch compared to your view at lunch daily at work? You can always sit in chair and table back home, sitting by the beach eating a no additional fee lunch is a great experience

 

[harryfat1]

These following pictures were taken by the wife as she wanted to take some pictures. You can tell the contrasting styles in how she likes to have some fore ground trees as part of the scenery where mine are just straight to the point

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Dessert time. Oh, as we were eating our lunch, a group of people came by and asked where we go our lunch as they didn't know where to go for the food. I should have told them that I swam back to the ship to get it from the windjammer...

 

 

These were the "cheap seats" that are behind us on the other side of the sidewalk. Don't know if they had to pay or set up their own chair. Back in 2014, the late comers just grabbed an empty chair from the stack and set up in the back lot. Don't know if these people DIY or not.

 

Nevertheless, the lesson here is try to get to the beach before 10 if you want a good spot.

 

The buffet lunch area is behind the arch area in the back. Each section has their food place. As I only been to Columbus cove, I don't know where other food areas are

 

 

Some dark clouds rolled past. I thought it was going to rain as I felt few rain drops overhead but it never amounted to any rain

 

 

[harryfat1]

My younger son and the brother in law and the girls were trying to build some sand structure with a moat

 

 

At around 2 PM, we wanted to head back to the ship to get our better photo equipment to take pictures of the rest of the port area – similar to what we did for Allure. Maybe next time we come to Labadee, we will bring an extra beach bag and store all the electronic equipment in there and just zip it up but just paranoid with all the electronic equipment siting around while we are in the water and sand is not good for cameras and lenses. The brother in law stayed behind to play at the beach.

 

 

Beach area as viewed from the returning tram

 

 

 

 

Shops along the route

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another tram going the other direction

 

 

[cruisemeister8]

Wonderful memories of Labadee, Harry. I love your ship and water pics. I have a similar pic where the lens is half under the water so it looks like the ship is floating. That's hard to do in the waves! And credit to your younger son for the nice family selfie, the old-fashioned way, sans a viewing screen! Teenager's hands must be programmed to rise to just the right selfie angle. I also like your pics going past the shops. Some of the artwork they sell is really pretty. Too bad it's so expensive. Yeah, yeah, I know, negotiate. Easier said than done when you don't have the knack.

 

Oh, and the feet pic is a cool idea, too. Sounds like the effort that went into all the takes was a fun time. You should hold a contest to guess whose feet are whose. Give the winner a free lifetime subscription to your reviews and a coupon for a free second entree in the Windjammer.

[micmacmissy]

Maybe next time we come to Labadee, we will bring an extra beach bag and store all the electronic equipment in there and just zip it up but just paranoid with all the electronic equipment siting around while we are in the water and sand is not good for cameras and lenses.

 

Harry don't do it - not at Labadee. We left a backpack (zipped up, on our chair) with my Samsung phone inside. Took a 10 minute dip and when we came back, everything was intact but the phone was missing from the bag.

 

This was early in the day; our chairs were near the steel drum/band set up. We asked them if they saw anything or anyone near the bag (there weren't a ton of passengers around yet).

 

We contacted RCCL security (a complete joke); they use a local as the head guard. We told both the head guard and the steel drum guys that we would offer a $100 cash reward (I think that was the amount, I don't entirely remember but there is an entire thread on it if anyone cares to search) to the person who "found" the phone. I just didn't want to lose all the pictures on it, as it wasn't backed up.

 

Imagine that, within ten minutes one of the guys in the band "found" my phone. :mad: We packed up our stuff and back to the ship we went. So you're smart- leave your electronics on the ship except for the one you can carry with you into the water.

[bobmacliberty]

For those people who sort of known me through the years will note that I like contradicting statements/ideas. As such, I always smile/smirk at the sign that says ”Welcome to Labadee” on the top and then on the bottom it says “No Entry” (middle of the picture if you are viewing it on PC. Can't see it from cell phone)…I’ll sound like Maxwell Smart the agent – Ahh, yes, the old welcome to our port but you can’t come in philosophy…

 

I can't count the number of reviews that I've read that included Labadee. And I can't once remember anyone pointing out these contradicting signs. Good eye. I enjoy things like this as well. Must be the analytical brain.

 

I'm a fan of Labadee but DW...not so much. Her complaint is the large number of people in one place. She would much prefer an isolated area with just a few people.

[suesnake2002]

I had bought a beach bag that locks with a key. The handle has a steel cable in it. And the whole thing is like chain mail covered in fabric. You can hook the handle thru your chair before locking it down. I don't remember what it's called. But i bought it on ebay. And i learned about such a bag here on cc

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

[bobmacliberty]

I had bought a beach bag that locks with a key. The handle has a steel cable in it. And the whole thing is like chain mail covered in fabric. You can hook the handle thru your chair before locking it down. I don't remember what it's called. But i bought it on ebay. And i learned about such a bag here on cc

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

Pacsafe is a popular brand of these bags:

https://www.pacsafe.com/bags/portable-safes/