Live From the Royal in the W Caribbean- November 24, 18- To Blog or Not to Blog...

[TracieABD]

Hi friends-

I’m baaaaaaaaaaaccccckkkkk!

I have sort of struggled with whether or not to “live from” blog this latest spin around the Caribbean- obviously- I have decided to do it- as evidenced by the fact that there is a thread here stating that I am Live From the Royal Princess. (Mostly, because for the life of me, I cannot figure out the “new” Cruise Critic- ugh- why did they have to change it??? Don’t they know- “If it ain’t broke- don’t fix it!)

 

This is one of those last minute bookings... It is a week around the Western Caribbean on one of my favorite ships. We boarded in Fort Lauderdale and will port in Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Belize City, and Cozumel. I have been to all of the ports except for Belize.

 

So here is the background:

During my last cruise- a Baltic with P2 (Princess 2)- AKA Fungirl Across America and Beyond (check out her Facebook page- she is currently live blogging from Poland!)- I revealed that my life had changed in so many ways. And then P2 let it slip that there is a someone special in my life- who we fondly referred to as PJ (are you confused yet?). Well, PJ is still very much in the picture- so allow me to formally introduce you to Jon- the dashing someone very, very special in my life... 

 

Back to how I ended up on a big boat in the middle of a huge puddle...

 

It is cold in North Carolina. Winter is coming. Last year, I wintered in Key West with Jon- so I never felt the effects of the drop in temperature. I am feeling it this year, and so is Jon. Also, we have had an incredible amount of rain. So much rain. Ugh.

 

I have been traveling with Jon while he is working- but we have never actually taken a real vacation together- just adding a few days here or there to extend a business trips. So, I am doing what I do (which means trolling the interwebs for good travel deals) and I run across this cruise. Which is cheap- as in less than $60 per person, per night cheap- of an interior cabin. What do I do? Of course, I pull the trigger! Can’t pass up a good deal like that! Let the planning commence!!!

 

And BONUS!!!!! Jon has never been on a cruise before! He is a “cruise virgin”- so I know this going to be fun! There is nothing quite like watching someone experience their first cruise. It really is a joy to watch them light up the first time they see the Atrium or experience the MDR. I was so looking forward to introducing Jon to the Princess Sea Witch!

 

As many of you know, I am pretty organized- so I set about figuring out the how we would get there, the where we would stay, and  the what we would do in ports, This is fun stuff to me. I created my spreadsheet and got to work. Jon is really chill, so he just wants to do whatever I am doing- which works great. 

 

We decided to try a new airline experience for us. We (both) live in Charlotte now. Charlotte is a very large hub for American Airlines. We are used to flying in and out of CLT which has five terminals, multiple restaurants, shopping venues, moving sidewalks, clubs, mini spas, ect... But we were leaving over Thanksgiving weekend, and flights were exorbitant- so we checked out Allegiant Air out of Concord, NC. Super cheap- but they only have 4 or 5 flights from Concord to FLL a week... We booked a flight a that left at 4 pm on Thanksgiving Day. 

 

On Thanksgiving, we passed on the multiple invitations to dine with friends and we did not make our own turkey, instead we drove the 23 miles north of our home to the tiny Concord Regional Airport. (Just a small point of interest- this is not an unimportant airport... this is the airport that the POTUS flys in and out of on Air Force One). And by tiny- I mean minuscule. Microscopic. The Check In counter, Baggage Drop, Baggage Claim, bathrooms, and TSA Security Check are all within spitting distance. It is smaller than a high school gymnasium. Once we cleared security- we sat at one of the two gates. 

 

The plane came in right as scheduled. It seemed a little small. And there were a lot of people waiting for the flight...We boarded according to our number. And then the shock set in. These were the smallest seat I had ever seen on a plane. It was a 3-3 configuration. Jon was on the aisle, I was in the middle. And I drew the long straw with our window companion- a tiny woman with an iron clad bladder who knew how to maintain her space and was not chatting! Score!

 

The flight is less than an hour and a half, so it really is worth the effort and adjustment to do that, especially since it cost us less than half of what it would cost for us to fly AA to FLL- even with all of the added baggage and seat selection fees. 

 

We were up and down before we had time to get through two games of gin. The FLL airport was pretty much what you would expect it to be on a holiday weekend- but our luggage arrived. We were staying, pre-cruise, for two nights in Fort Lauderdale. We had debated whether or not to take the time to go to Key West, to see friends, for a day, but ultimately decided against 8 hours of driving for a couple hours of socializing. 

 

We found a great hotel- a Marriott property in Fort Lauderdale, that was so stinking cheap- it was almost wrong. We booked two nights at the Marriott Fort Lauderdale NORTH. Because of Jon’s status with the company, we booked the cheapest room and were upgraded to the Concierge Level in a larger room on the 15th floor. Upon check in- they let us know that if we hurried, they had a turkey dinner in the lounge to celebrate Thanksgiving! All was not lost- we ended up having legitimately good turkey and dressing- all on the Marriott’s bill! What a great surprise!

 

The hotel is not close to the beach- or the port- but it does have a lovely pool- and is close to shopping and restaurants. We had a rental, so we were able to drive to where we wanted to go. This worked perfectly for us- as we knew we would have so much beach on the cruise that we could forgo it in Florida.

 

I am going to cut here- and will come back in a bit with our days in Fort Lauderdale and the first couple days of our cruise- bear with me!

 

I am so glad to be back on board and back on the boards!

 

Thanks for coming along-

Tracie-Lynn 🙂

[Colo Cruiser]

Bon Voyage Tracie!!   😎

[Host CJSKIDS]

Bon Voyage Tracie!!!  Hope your cruise is absolutely fantastic and I'm looking forward to following along!!!!

[karabear15]

Going to be on her in 34 short days!  Can't wait to follow along on your journey!

 

-Kara

[Cruise2End]

Tracie -

 

Have a wonderful cruise.    She’s a lovely ship.   We’re due to be on the Royal for 49 days starting February 2nd.   If possible, can you post the traditional dining times on the ship.    You have selections for you cruise personalizer but when you get on the ship, they adjust the time based on that ship, so knowing what they’re doing on the Royal would really help.  Thanks so much!

[BLJBLJ]

Thanks for taking us all along.  Brenda

[TracieABD]

 

Hi friends!

 

See- I came back, just like I said I would!

Once we got checked into the hotel and had a little bird for dinner- I got a wild hair to go find a bank to get a little more cash. Jon thought that was a pretty good idea too. Unfortunately, while we have co-joined many things- we remain a house divided with our choice of banks. That meant two stops...

While we were out scouting financial institutions- we started discussing other options for some entertainment that evening...

• movie
• Shopping at Sawgrass (yes, it was open, but I won’t shop on Thanksgiving)
• Going for a drive
• Moonlight walk on the beach
• Casino

I said I would go to a casino- if there was one close by. Just as I said that- we saw a casino. Welp. There you have it. We pulled in and parked at the Pompano Casino. I grew up in casinos- my grandparents were professional gamblers (not kidding). This was a nice little casino- unassuming and very negotiable. 

 

The inherent mistake is going to the casino AFTER you have gone to the bank for your vacation cash... I came out a little ahead- enough to buy three things off the Dollar Menu at McDonalds and Jon left a little in the machines. No big deal. We were sufficiently entertained. And that is what counts.

 

We headed back to the hotel and decided to pack it in for the day. Overall- for our first day of vacation- It gets an A+ for success.

 

More in a bit!

Tracie-Lynn 🙂

 

[TracieABD]

Hi Friends-

 

It’s me again... The one who made an entry right above this one...

 

After our fun travel/ casino adventure- we slept pretty well. And slept in- for us.... Even though I retired last January- I have gone back to work a little bit. I now teach English to little children in China. And because China is 12 or 13 hours ahead of EST- I get up around 4 am to teach for a few hours. I love it, but 4 am is really, really early to be up and on!

 

We made our way to the Concierge Lounge for some breakfast and then left the hotel to get those requisite forgotten items. Sadly, I forgot my skin care- which, like me, is fussy. But Jon saved the day, found a salon about 10 miles away, and off we went.

 

Upon our return to the hotel, we decided to just lay at the pool. The pool is not heated, but was quiet and uncrowded. Well, that is until the very loud woman with the annoying vocal tic showed up and proceeded to talk non-stop for over an hour. We gave up the ghost and headed back to the room to get dressed for a late lunch. 

 

Lunch was at the Moonlight Diner. The food was great. The order was followed perfectly. And our waitress, Christine, actually really cared that we were happy. While it was a bit on the spendy side for diner food- the service made it worth every cent. 

 

Later in the afternoon, we decided to go and feed the casino a little more shore excursion money. Only that did not happen... while I lost my daily allotment- Jon, gambler extraordinaire, not only covered his losses, but earned ALL of the excursion money AND put the entire initial investment back in the bank. It was a big, big night for Mr. Jon, for sure!

 

We decided to cut and run while the running was good and headed back to the hotel for our last go-to-sleep on land. Except I was hungry, so we thought the restaurant in the hotel would be a great and fast option. Nope. It was freezing. And slow. And they did not get the order correct. Ugh. Not a good option at all.

 

After the dinner fiasco of 2018, we decided there was nothing else to do but go to bed. Except- the night before a cruise, I am pretty busy. I have to check the passports, stuff the luggage tag holders, check the passports, repack, check the passports, organized the laundry, check the passports, make the cabin steward “we need...” list, check the passports, set out the clothing for the next day. Did mention that I check the passports? Finally, I settled down at about midnight- but I was up and down pretty much the whole night.

 

And that is our free day in Fort Lauderdale... Stay tuned for Embarkation Day to come soon!

 

More on its way!

Tracie-Lynn 🙂

[cruisequeen4ever]

Always do a live blog; we treasure your blogs!!

[Astro Flyer]

Buon Viaggio Tracie-Lynn & Jon! 🛳

 

We’re eagerly awaiting the Royal’s West Coast arrival in the Spring.  It’s taken nearly 6 years to have a Royal-class ship on the WC and we have 3 cruises booked on the Royal.

 

I’ve read posts stating that during the ship’s early December weeklong shipyard maintenance they’ll add the luxury beds.  Maybe you’ll be lucky & already have a new mattress. 🤞🤞

[karabear15]

51 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

I’ve read posts stating that during the ship’s early December weeklong shipyard maintenance they’ll add the luxury beds.  Maybe you’ll be lucky & already have a new mattress. 🤞🤞

 

I can't wait to try these new mattresses!  I hope they are everything that people say they are.

[TracieABD]

November 24, 2018

Cruise Day! Cruise Day! Cruise Day!

 

Hi friends!

 

Oh! How I love Embarkation Day! It might just be my favorite day! It holds the promise of a fabulous vacation! 

 

Jon was up and moving before me. I think he may have been a little excited too... except he had no idea what was in store for him. For all of the experienced cruisers out there, the first half of the day can be a bit of a drill. And this was no exception. But once you are on the ship- Magic happens!

 

We finalized packing. Headed back to the restaurant for breakfast- which was an improvement over the previous night’s experience. Jon went to get the car while I waited for the bell man. I have to admit- we had a lot of luggage- especially for a one week cruise. One of the reasons is that Allegiant charges the same for a carry on as it does for a checked bag. And you are limited to 40 pounds. 40 pounds goes very fast. I could have done this on American with 50 pounds and a carry on, but nope. So we had 4 suitcases. Thus the need for the bell man.

 

We decided to go to the port first to drop the luggage and the two cases of water. While it was a bit of mess getting in and out of port at 9 to 10 am (yes, it took almost an hour),  it was definitely the better choice. We gave lots of stuff to the porters... and then whispered the silent prayer that all six pieces would make it to the cabin. 

 

We headed back to the airport to return the rental and catch an Uber back to port. By the time we were sitting in the Uber, the traffic at the port had completely died down. So I guess the magic hour for the port is somewhere after 10 am and before noon. By the time we got back, check in was pretty fast. We headed up to the Elite Lounge but it was packed. So we waited in the hall until it was time to board- which was the amount of time equal for each of to go to the bathroom- so maybe 5 or 6 minutes. They called for Elites and the 9 million of us queued up. We were within the first 10 people, so it went very fast. I loved Jon’s reaction. He was very quiet as we entered the ship- I think he may have been slightly awed. 

 

But that ended quickly, as I rushed him up to the Sanctuary to book for the two sea days. We made it to second in line, so there was no problem finding a nice seat. We selected two loungers by the Spa Cabana- It felt like a cozy corner. We also requested seating on the left side, which is reported to be the “quiet side”. Checked that off the list!

 

Next, we headed to the Allegro Dining Room for lunch. It was not listed on the Patter- and the first person we asked claimed we would have to eat in the Horizon Court. Ummmm. Nope. Just no. Alas, we persisted and found seated lunch! Yay!

 

It was the limited menu- but everything was very good. Jon, who can be a bit of a foodie, has been really impressed with the quality of the food in the dining room. We both had the beef- ordered rare- and guess what? We both received rare beef! Yay for us again!

 

After lunch, we returned to the cabin to meet our cabin steward. First off, a bit about the cabin- I booked an IF for an insanely small amount of money. We were upgraded to an IB sideways interior- and then upsold to a deluxe balcony for an insanely small amount of money. So we are in a balcony- and Jon is loving watching the ocean. And I am grateful to watch him enjoy the balcony.

 

Now, back to our cabin steward- Glenn. For the past couple of cruises, the stewards have been functional and efficient, but completely lacking in personality or charm. I guess I am spoiled a bit, because I have had some amazing cabin stewards in my travels. But for this cruise, we got Glenn. Best. Cabin. Steward. EVER. The man does not know the word “no”. He is funny and charming and completely affable. It is a joy to see him on the daily.

 

As some of you know, I always present the cabin steward with a list of things (and some incentive) that I might need to make the cabin more enjoyable. The first and most important is wooden hangers. I only use wooden hangers at home and I hang almost everything- so I am not posing here. We initially had less than the requisite 20 allotted per cabin, so I asked for many. Glenn did the best he could and came up with a good sized bundle for me- and then did the absolute unspeakable- He requested assistance from his supervisor- who showed up with even more. Now that is some notable service. It falls solidly into the land of “Consummate Host”-dom. I am a happy happy cruising girl!

 

It took me a good bit of time to unpack and organize the cabin- but my goal is to get it to a place where the cabin steward can breeze in and breeze out without tripping over a bunch of stuff. The less time Glenn has to spend in our cabin, the more time he has to rest and relax. Lord knows, he certainly deserves it! Cabin stewards work hard- and to find one with an amazing personality— gold.

 

Jon had the privilege of attending his first Muster Drill. He survived. No life jackets- and it is so fast now- even with the cheesy Love Boat songs. There may have been a little bit of giggling during the drill...After the drill, we sat in the Plaza and drank tea. Watched people. And watch the ship begin it journey southward. It was really fun to see the Pilot and the Pilot Boat do its thing as we were led out of the channel. I have loved watching Jon.

 

We have later dining. It is supposed to be at 7:15, but in reality, it is at 7:45. Last night, the dining room was about 3/4 full. People seem to be appropriately dressed and behaved. Dinner was great. I had chicken broth, salad, and the ricotta leek tart. Yum. Jon had the pork tenderloin with apricot glaze- and I think he ate every bit. 

 

We headed to the production show, but were distracted by “shiny things” e.g. Movie Poster Trivia. I do love me some trivia- and I might just take it a bit seriously. And I can be just slightly competitive. I think Jon has seen a whole new side of me... and I am not sure he likes it. I might  just be a bit extra when it comes to games. Though, I think he should have had a clue. We play gin almost daily... I do enjoy winning. We did not win at Movie Poster Trivia. We scored 21/25. The winning team had a ringer who had been on the last cruise... We all know how that goes.

 

It is late and I am going to cut here and post.

 

I will write about our first Sea Day tomorrow.

 

Thank you for hanging in!

Tracie-Lynn 🙂

 

[mthomp5]

23 minutes ago, TracieABD said:

 

Thank you for doing the Live From!  I’m getting amped about our cruise on the Royal in a little over 150 days.  Yeah...I know...it’s a while away.  So I’ll enjoy reading your live report in preparation for our cruise.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

Edited November 26, 2018 by mthomp5

[TracieABD]

 

November 25, 2018

Sea Day! 

 

Hi friends!

 

Yay! Yay! Sea Day!!!!

 

Ever had one of those mornings where you just could not get moving? Yep. That was this morning... Too late for MDR breakfast. Too early for MDR brunch. No love for the buffet. So we final settled on egg sandwiches in the International Cafe. Which was a great plan. Coffee, sammich, and breakfast dessert!!!!! 

 

We then headed up to our super comfy Sanctuary seats. Ahhhhhhh. This is my happy place. And now I know that Jon is a keeper.... He loves the Sanctuary too. I just want you to know— it’s a match! We reserved seats next to the spa cabana- which was great until someone who was having a massage had the TV on. Ummm. Who watches television while having a massage? Fortunately, it was an hour. No big deal.

 

We stayed the whole day in the Sanctuary. The only time we left was to get a crepe in Gelatos. They no longer take a coffee card punch for gelato or crepes. Boo. The crepes were delicious and I highly recommend the Nutty Banana Crepe. And I am quite certain it is diet too! (OK- maybe not).

 

I did have a nice surprise yesterday... I forgot they served tea in the Sanctuary. I love that. Right at 3:30, the first cart arrived with tea and coffee. I settled on a nice mint tea. This was soon followed by the Cart of Deliciousness. Scones. Sammiches. Cookies. Cakes. Brownies. Oh my! Also, I am certain it was all calorie free- as the Sanctuary was super windy- so it blew all of the calories away! 

 

Once we finally extracted ourselves from the Axis of Peacefulness- we headed down out to run some “errands”. The Captain’s Circle Party is on Monday- at the same time as our Crown Grill reservation, so I wanted to change our reservation.

 

I tried repeatedly calling the D*I*N*E line- but could not get past the voice mail or busy signal. We attempted to go directly to the Crown Grill, but could not get close to the podium. We decided to wait it out with an espresso in the International Cafe- and when I asked to use the bar phone to call the D*I*N*E line, the bartender sent us to the Symphony Dining Room to ask for help. 

 

*** As my regular readers know, I am rarely negative- so if you are sensitive to that, skip this part***

 

Firstly, we had not yet dressed for dinner. Tonight, was formal night. I have to admit, we looked a little rough around the edges. With that said- we entered the dining room. There was no line at that point. We approached the desk captain and asked if he could help. The young lady who manages seating for Anytime Dining indicated that we could come to her for help. So we did. When we asked if she could help us change our reservation time, she began to speak very, very sharply to us— basically reprimanding us for not following protocol, which I can assure you- we did. When we attempted to explain this to her- we got the “well, that’s too bad” type of response. Heck, I would have been fine if someone had very kindly said- “I am so sorry. We cannot help you down here, but let me direct you to where you can find your answers...” but to be treated so abpruptly, actually rudely- it just did not sit well.  I have never been spoken to in that manner on any cruise ship. Honestly, it was a bit jarring.

 

Rather insulted and somewhat dejected, we started to leave. The Desk Captain called us back and said- “I will try to help you”... and guess what???? He did! He very patiently started to work his magic- finally reaching the Crown Grill, changed the reservation. He did this with a calmness and competence that I have come to expect on a Princess Cruise. I did not catch his name, but it is now my mission to find it out so I can write a Consummate Host card for him. He was stellar!

 

We headed back to the room to dress for dinner. It is amazing what a shower and some sparkly clothes can to to a flagging spirit. Dinner was great. We both decided to short course it- just an app and main with some dessert. We both selected the beef medallions- ordered rare. Instead of medallions, they brought us filets. Surprise! I did not see that coming. The meal was delicious and I was finally able to introduce Jon to the other man in my life...

 

Norman. Norman Love. Chocolate Wizard and dessert creator extraordinaire! We had the hazelnut dessert- and it was, of course, completely delicious. Jon is celebrating a personal anniversary, so they brought him a cake and sang too! He took it all in stride. 

 

We did miss the sign ups for the Yes/No Game Show though... I think Jon would be excellent at this. He is my polar opposite. I am pretty shy and very introverted. Jon is so outgoing and engaging. He is a true extrovert. And he would have been totally game to give it a go... Oh well, maybe next cruise. 

 

We also attended the production show in the Princess Theater. We had a feature performer named Darrin Dowler. He was fine. Not really my thing, but he could genuinely carry a tune and really worked to engage the audience. I was so sleepy and “sun drunk” at that point, I could not wait to go to bed. 

 

When we got back to our cabin- laundry arrived! That is a record.  Less than 24 hours! I put it away and was asleep before Jon turned out the lights.

 

More in a bit!

Thanks for hanging in!

Tracie-Lynn 🙂

[c-boy]

Jon wear a tux or suit?

[CRLess]

Hi "Cuz"....glad to see you are back at sea!  Check your email....

[Heyref]

Thanks for the updates.

7:45 dining time???  Yikes - not impressed by that......

What time is the Show in the Princess Theatre?

[aliciam]

Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us! We will be sailing on Royal in two weeks and there is very little current information (that I can find anyway with the new search feature) on Royal. Hope the rest of your trip is amazing.

[greenie082756]

Thanks so much for doing you live from the Royal! I so enjoy it when you do this. Shhh! Don't tell the boss I'm on CC! 

 

We will be on the Royal next September and it will be a first for us on this class from Princess. So of course, I will be reading every single word you have to relay to us.

[TracieABD]

November 26, 2018

Georgetown, Grand Cayman

 

Hi friends (and family- 😉 Cousin Chris and Cousin Brenda)-

 

Please, don’t flame me... but I don’t love the Caymans... I do love cruising... and I really love the ship...

 

After some thoughtful planning and discussion- Jon and I decided to can the Caymans and stay on board today. We got up around 8:30 and headed directly to the Sanctuary to see if there were seats available for the day! Yep! OUR seats were available! Booked and off to breakfast by 8:45. 

 

Breakfast in the MDR was pleasant and fast. Omelet for Jon. Eggs Benedict for me. I hate showing up right at closing time though, because I feel like I am impeding the staff’s progress. But I just love the MDR and the process of sitting for a proper meal. 

 

We headed down to the International Cafe for our specialty coffees and then back to the Sanctuary. I settled while Jon puttered in the cabin for a bit. Once Jon joined me, he had a moment of buyers remorse in our seat selection... Once mentioned to the Serenity Steward, we were moved to the sunny seats. Nice and warm and toasty. We sat and swam and sat and swam... and then Jon (very, very humbly- and truly funny and charming) admitted to a second case of buyers remorse so they moved us back to our special seats in the shade. I have to say, the Serenity Staff under the direction of Constantin, have been nothing but gracious and helpful and dedicated to making us happy. It has been such a gift to be up here with them. Not to mention the tea, and food service, and cold towels, and bucket of ice, etc... They are the model of what service should look like. It will be hard to wait another 3 days to come back.

 

We decided to give lunch in the buffet a spin. I have not eaten in the buffet in forever. It has such an amazing selection of food. We stuck primarily to fruit and veggies with a little meat thrown in. We are both experiencing an interesting phenomenon. We have hit the “food wall” on Day 3.

 

And now we are back in the Sanctuary. Playing Farkle and gin and loving life and this ship we call home.

 

More later this evening!

Tracie-Lynn 🙂

[TracieABD]

On 11/25/2018 at 11:36 AM, Colo Cruiser said:

Bon Voyage Tracie!!   😎

Thank you, Keith! Are you still asea?

[TracieABD]

On 11/25/2018 at 11:50 AM, Host CJSKIDS said:

Bon Voyage Tracie!!!  Hope your cruise is absolutely fantastic and I'm looking forward to following along!!!!

Thank you, Carolyn...

Someday, we will get it together to venture outward together!

[TracieABD]

On 11/25/2018 at 12:27 PM, karabear15 said:

Going to be on her in 34 short days!  Can't wait to follow along on your journey!

 

-Kara

You must be so excited! I love the days before the cruise!

[TracieABD]

On 11/25/2018 at 12:43 PM, Cruise2End said:

Tracie -

 

Have a wonderful cruise.    She’s a lovely ship.   We’re due to be on the Royal for 49 days starting February 2nd.   If possible, can you post the traditional dining times on the ship.    You have selections for you cruise personalizer but when you get on the ship, they adjust the time based on that ship, so knowing what they’re doing on the Royal would really help.  Thanks so much!

Just 7 short weeks!  The actual times for TD on this ship have been 5:30 and 7:45 (differing from the 5 pm and 7:15 pm that is in the selection on the Personalizer).

[TracieABD]

On 11/25/2018 at 1:31 PM, BLJBLJ said:

Thanks for taking us all along.  Brenda

Hey Brenda!!! Miss you up here this time!