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

[harryfat1]

We checked out the crazy dumb videos of the cruise director doing weird antics on the TV.

 

They said they Google translated the Grease song from English to German to 2 other languages and then back to English and then they sang the words to it. Pretty funny in how things get lost in translation when it's done 4 layers over.

 

 

Then they had some food eating contest

 

 

Anyway, so with us having to double back to St. Kitts and losing 2 hours and the confirmed extra stop at St. Thomas at 3 AM, the captain is hauling butt on the way back to FLL by the 7 AM deadline on day 10. You can see from the TV that he is flooring it by going 21.7 knots.

 

[DebbieMo]

Kinda like yogurt/jello/pudding thing. Looks better than it tastes.

 

 

 

Also the spoons they have are too fat and wide for the narrow openings/bottom.

 

 

 

[emoji23] how do they not have spoons that fit!? It’s sad that these desserts look so good then they don’t taste good, seems like such a waste. I would be ok with less variety if they tasted better.

 

 

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[DebbieMo]

Hi, Debbie,

 

I think you are asking about 2 different topics here.

 

The first is just my warped sense of humor in mentioning the conflicting message at the top that says they welcome you but at the bottom says "no entry". They just meant you can't use that gate to go in. You have to use the side gate.

 

As for visiting the rest of Haiti, no, you are restricted from seeing what is presented to you at Labadee. I have read that in some special cases, people have obtained clearance to visit relatives outside the area but for most of the passengers, they are restricted to the area.

 

Other people can chime in why, but I assume the deal made between RCI and Haiti is for the lease of the land and uses of the area only and not allowed inland. There is enough to do for the 6 to 8 hours you are there.

 

I think the signs were funny too how they contradict so not warped at all. I did not know that you couldn’t actually go into Haiti and that you were restricted to a certain area. Thanks for explaining.

 

Your “Welcome/No Entry” pic makes me think of the pool at Señor Frogs in St. Thomas that says “Sorry! We are open

 

 

Can I share a photography tip? Use the horizon lines in your landscape pics to get your pics straight. I enjoy your pics either way but figured i'd share this little tip that has helped me.

[harryfat1]

[emoji23] how do they not have spoons that fit!? It’s sad that these desserts look so good then they don’t taste good, seems like such a waste. I would be ok with less variety if they tasted better.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Taste is subjective. Maybe other people will like it more than me.

 

There are 2 sizes of spoons. If you get the bigger one, it will have problem getting to the bottom of the long narrow cup.

 

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[JamesEM]

A comment about the Quest, basically it is an adult scavenger hunt, considering the amount of adult beverages that some of the participants have consumed the Quest can get quite interesting.

[Canadian1]

Welcome back. Thanks for sending the picture while you were in Costa Maya.

 

I trust you had a good cruise?

 

Interesting info on the dinner menu. I guess now I have the "classic/vintage" menu photos.

 

Did you like the food options listed on the menu? Did they have the good old stand by of lobsters/duck/prime rib/lamb shank?

 

Thanks [emoji4]

It was relaxing which is exactly what we were looking for..... but! Too short, nothing less than 7 days from now on lol

Yes they still had all the standards left [emoji6] I wish I had taken pictures of the menu but I'm sure it'll pop up soon. Like I said I don't usually carry my phone around with me. I did 2 nights because our wait staff started making really cool napkin art but I totally forgot to think of the new menu.... distracted by flowers, peacocks, birds, candles, and even a monkey/turkey(depending who you ask). We got a rose the first time and a rival waiter made us a different flower (didn't have the camera but took them to the room to get a pic ;) ), then it was the peacock, then the last night it was the rest (4 total in one night!). Of the cruising we've done we've never had the napkin art! Our dining room staff were Great! And not just our table staff, we were playing "mindtrap" style questions with another tables waiter, singing with another one, and having a great time with all of them. That being said almost all the staff we encountered were Great.... boy have I gone off topic! Here's our peacock :

Oh and this the other one I forgot to mention, part of "the four":

[Canadian1]

OMG!!!! I actually did get one shot of the new menu, YAY! Just saw it going through the pics on my phone.

 

Here you go :)

 

Hope you can read it okay.

 

[Canadian1]

I believe the menu was for night one.

[cruisemeister8]

Don't know how / too lazy to quote multiple posts from the last few pages of conversation, but I've got to say, YOU on a 14-day Disney and Cruise would be EPIC! (Or Harmonizing, since we know you wouldn't be on flat-ended Epic.) That would be a report to read, although Bob would run off the graph on his post count watch. Plus, if one December trip is still being talked about in February, by the time you finish a trip like that, you'd be posting your summer rock diversions Live. LOL.

 

Anyway, the day 8 compass got me excited for the t-shirt sale. But 2 for $30? Really?? Where are my $10 tees? So, Thank You, for explaining. I agree with your son that the sale shirts weren't that impressive, but I liked the blue Indy shirt behind the cashier's head. Of course, that one likely wasn't on sale. So thanks again for the pictures of the shops, rarely seen in trip reports. I was browsing and imagining what I would have bought!

 

I was also glad to see your boys at a window table in the WJ -- the best spot to eat breakfast ever! Hope one of them had a chocolate donut for all of us here at home!

 

Enjoy seeing all your sea day pics around the ship. Surprised to see cartoons on the big screen. Am I the only one that thinks those things are obtrusive? I know people can't bear to be away from their screens and devices, but when you're out on the pool deck, wouldn't you rather see the view of the OCEAN than the view you can see at home any day? Maybe I'm just strange. Looking forward to the rest of your tales now that you can see again. Glad your eye was feeling better. That would be terrible if they had to make another stop to evacuate you for medical emergency! But hey, it would make for great pictures! See a foreign doctor? Take a picture!

[harryfat1]

Thanks [emoji4]

It was relaxing which is exactly what we were looking for..... but! Too short, nothing less than 7 days from now on lol

Yes they still had all the standards left [emoji6] I wish I had taken pictures of the menu but I'm sure it'll pop up soon. Like I said I don't usually carry my phone around with me. I did 2 nights because our wait staff started making really cool napkin art but I totally forgot to think of the new menu.... distracted by flowers, peacocks, birds, candles, and even a monkey/turkey(depending who you ask). We got a rose the first time and a rival waiter made us a different flower (didn't have the camera but took them to the room to get a pic ;) ), then it was the peacock, then the last night it was the rest (4 total in one night!). Of the cruising we've done we've never had the napkin art! Our dining room staff were Great! And not just our table staff, we were playing "mindtrap" style questions with another tables waiter, singing with another one, and having a great time with all of them. That being said almost all the staff we encountered were Great.... boy have I gone off topic! Here's our peacock :

[ATTACH]414715[/ATTACH][ATTACH]414716[/ATTACH]

Oh and this the other one I forgot to mention, part of "the four":

[ATTACH]414717[/ATTACH]

 

Oh, yeah, it's hard to do the short cruises especially if you have to fly there. To maximize your vacation value, try to stay longer if you can. Last time on the Freedom, the 6 day cruise felt a tad short so it was good to do a 9 this time.

 

I would think doing these napkin animals is part of the training or at least tribal knowledge being passed on from older waiters to the younger ones. Speaking of which, I have yet to see an older waiter on any cruises. Given how hard they work, it's a young/middle age person's job.

 

I have always been a fan of having the same waiters so you have one set of familiar faces nightly. We don't go for MTD because we like the interaction.

[harryfat1]

OMG!!!! I actually did get one shot of the new menu, YAY! Just saw it going through the pics on my phone.

 

Here you go :)

 

Hope you can read it okay.

 

[ATTACH]414718[/ATTACH]

 

Thanks for the menu. Looks very different in the layout.

 

So you just order dessert the same time you order the main course? Guess it saves them time.

 

I didn't see any chill soup on the menu. My younger one will be sad if they are totally eliminated.

[harryfat1]

Don't know how / too lazy to quote multiple posts from the last few pages of conversation, but I've got to say, YOU on a 14-day Disney and Cruise would be EPIC! (Or Harmonizing, since we know you wouldn't be on flat-ended Epic.) That would be a report to read, although Bob would run off the graph on his post count watch. Plus, if one December trip is still being talked about in February, by the time you finish a trip like that, you'd be posting your summer rock diversions Live. LOL.

 

Anyway, the day 8 compass got me excited for the t-shirt sale. But 2 for $30? Really?? Where are my $10 tees? So, Thank You, for explaining. I agree with your son that the sale shirts weren't that impressive, but I liked the blue Indy shirt behind the cashier's head. Of course, that one likely wasn't on sale. So thanks again for the pictures of the shops, rarely seen in trip reports. I was browsing and imagining what I would have bought!

 

I was also glad to see your boys at a window table in the WJ -- the best spot to eat breakfast ever! Hope one of them had a chocolate donut for all of us here at home!

 

Enjoy seeing all your sea day pics around the ship. Surprised to see cartoons on the big screen. Am I the only one that thinks those things are obtrusive? I know people can't bear to be away from their screens and devices, but when you're out on the pool deck, wouldn't you rather see the view of the OCEAN than the view you can see at home any day? Maybe I'm just strange. Looking forward to the rest of your tales now that you can see again. Glad your eye was feeling better. That would be terrible if they had to make another stop to evacuate you for medical emergency! But hey, it would make for great pictures! See a foreign doctor? Take a picture!

 

Yeah, if I had a 7 day pre cruise vacation at WDW, that would be a trip report all on its own. Cruises are more of my left brain - the logical side. Disney vacation is for my heart where it's more emotional. I would spend lots of time on posting about the lines and usage of apps.

 

Heck, Disney make you reserve the popular restaurants 180 days in advance and reserve Fastpass plus 60 days out. I could spend 100 posts just taking about the pre-planning aspects and talking about how many versions of Excel spreadsheet I had to revise as I couldn't get the restaurants of my choice.

 

As for foreign doctors, can't afford them. I would think these emergency related stops are not cheap if you don't have travel insurance (I typically don't buy these).

[harryfat1]

(OK, back to the story line)

 

+++++++++++++++

After wasting enough time watching cruise TV in the cabin, it was time to eat again. Where does all the food go while on the cruise as we are always eating?

I want say at the 12 noon report, the captain mentioned we might sail through some rain clouds but I don’t think it ever went above us directly as I didn’t see any rain but then we weren’t outside the entire time.

 

One drawback in writing a long trip report is as I get older, the memory isn’t what it used to be. But the old man memory wants to say at day 8 lunch time, a nice lady name Kim from cruise critics recognized my mug shot at WJ and came to introduce herself. Guess that’s what happens when you post your pictures repeatedly online. Guess I better not commit crime like bank robbery as people will spot me in an instant when the picture goes online.

 

They had these Asian noodles at the Jade

 

 

Hanging out with Santa

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

So after lunch, we walked around various parts of the ship that we wanted to see but haven’t found the time to do since we were so busy with port visits the past 5 days.

 

 

 

 

How many people nowadays use the computers on the ship versus using their own cell phones/tablets/laptops?

 

 

 

 

Don't see any washy washy stations. How clean are these keyboards other people have touched? Bring your own wipes if you need to use these. Especially on ship that has Noro issues

 

 

[harryfat1]

 

 

Library

 

 

 

There was a group of maybe 8 or so kids (around age of 12?) that were sitting on the staircase right outside of the library and talking/laughing loudly. The voice easily can be heard in the library as it's within 25 feet from it. I think one of the lady sitting in the library reading was ready to stand up and go and strangle each and every one of the kids as they were disturbing her reading enjoyment

[harryfat1]

One of my favorite views on ships with RP - the view from library looking down RP. It's like my ropes pictures. Mesmerizing. I can sit there for awhile and just look outside the window.

 

As I don't hang out in the solarium or deck 4 looking at the ocean, this would be one of my choices to just look out. Has everything I want - symmetrical on right and left/the view looks it's going to infinity and beyond at the very end/constant movement of people below for change of scenery.

 

Only drawback is I can't moon anyone I dislike from here - unlike in my own PR view cabin (assuming I had one...)

 

 

Side view

 

 

Need I say more?

 

 

[Canadian1]

So after lunch, we walked around various parts of the ship that we wanted to see but haven’t found the time to do since we were so busy with port visits the past 5 days.

 

 

 

 

How many people nowadays use the computers on the ship versus using their own cell phones/tablets/laptops?

 

 

 

 

Don't see any washy washy stations. How clean are these keyboards other people have touched? Bring your own wipes if you need to use these. Especially on ship that has Noro issues

 

 

Funny enough I needed to use these so I could do my airplane check-in and print my boarding passes... yes I prefer paper over digital for this. There were purelle stations but I didn't see anybody use them. Keyboards were sticky, YUCK so needless to say did not touch anything until I washed my hands. Thank goodness hubby was there to get the prints from the printer.

[harryfat1]

At the RP, the Adventure Ocean brought out the kids from the club as part of the pirates theme parade/party. I'm probably one of the very few people taking pictures while I have no kids in the parade...

 

 

[harryfat1]

Since we are on deck 4 for MDR dinner, that's the Macbeth dining room

 

 

Dinner menu from the large tablet on the wall

 

 

 

Another formal night tonight (3 of 3). Lobster and prime ribs. Surf and turf

 

[Canadian1]

Thanks for the menu. Looks very different in the layout.

 

So you just order dessert the same time you order the main course? Guess it saves them time.

 

I didn't see any chill soup on the menu. My younger one will be sad if they are totally eliminated.

Yes, order dessert at the same time which I forgot to do often. I dont remember seeing any chilled soups, so pass on a sorry to your son, but then again maybe on the longer sailings they will till have them..... you never know. Cross fingers.

 

By the way, the waitress said they were thinking of removing the escargot from the menu all together but said you could still ask for it. So I guess it will be like now? Threw me off but seems like it will still be available. I know it wasn't on the menu every night but we got it every night :) thanks to you by the way! Before reading your Freedom review I didn't know you could ask for it anytime. Hubby sends a big high five!

[harryfat1]

Walked outside of deck 4. A lot more people here today than day 2, the previous sea day. Think the gusty wind upstairs forced some people to come down instead.

 

The Captain went on the PA sometime during the day and mentioned that with the wind and how fast we are traveling, they might need to close access to the helipad for safety reasons.

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Yes, order dessert at the same time which I forgot to do often. I dont remember seeing any chilled soups, so pass on a sorry to your son, but then again maybe on the longer sailings they will till have them..... you never know. Cross fingers.

 

By the way, the waitress said they were thinking of removing the escargot from the menu all together but said you could still ask for it. So I guess it will be like now? Threw me off but seems like it will still be available. I know it wasn't on the menu every night but we got it every night :) thanks to you by the way! Before reading your Freedom review I didn't know you could ask for it anytime. Hubby sends a big high five!

 

High five back to your hubby as well.

 

I am not a fan of these "secret menu" where you need to ask to get something that is available. Especially for newbie cruisers who will never know to ask if they don't read CC. That's not right.

 

Will be sad if they eliminate escargot as that is cruise food to me. I got that one day 1 just to get myself in the mind set I am on a cruise.

[harryfat1]

Moving over to the sunny side of the side

 

 

 

 

 

Obligatory wake shot

 

 

Sneaking in a shot at the spot that says "crew only"

 

[harryfat1]

Moving back inside

 

 

 

 

[lbjen]

OMG!!!! I actually did get one shot of the new menu, YAY! Just saw it going through the pics on my phone.

 

Here you go :)

 

Hope you can read it okay.

 

[ATTACH]414718[/ATTACH]

 

These are the menus they had on Oasis last summer. I had the beet salad followed by the roast turkey. No dessert for me.

 

They also had the smallest computer room ever on that ship. It looked like it was a store room before.