LIVE from the Wonder of the Seas 2022 WB Transatlantic Cruise and our 4 year journey to get on this TA!

[BillOh]

On 11/15/2022 at 3:40 PM, MuyBueno said:

My sister and I tested positive for COVID when we arrived home. Also, 1 of our trivia teammates was positive. I didn’t have any symptoms onboard. 

It's been 6 days, curious to see how this went for you and if all are better now?

[BillOh]

On 11/18/2022 at 3:14 PM, October17 said:

Fortunately I didn’t have any pre-booked transportation, so I continued with a leisurely breakfast and a second cup of coffee.

 

 

Thanks for that message. Lots of interesting and informative information there.  Even though I live in Ohio we frequently drive to Port Canaveral and self disembark with no set schedule.  A much less stressful way to end a nice cruise if you can do it.  Besides being less stressful for you, you made it less stressful for others on a tight schedule. 

[MuyBueno]

1 hour ago, BillOh said:

It's been 6 days, curious to see how this went for you and if all are better now?

Thanks for asking. I was pretty miserable for the first 3 days. I’ve been feeling better each day for the last 4 days. About 95% back to normal; just some fatigue and a sore throat from coughing for 6 days.

My sister had mild symptoms and feels fine now. Oddly, I am healthier than her and unlike her, have no underlying medical issues, so we were both surprised that it hit me so much harder than her. COVID is such a peculiar, unpredictable virus.

And DH didn’t catch it.

 

Happy cruising to all!

[BillOh]

16 minutes ago, MuyBueno said:

T

My sister had mild symptoms and feels fine now. Oddly, I am healthier than her and unlike her, have no underlying medical issues, so we were both surprised that it hit me so much harder than her. COVID is such a peculiar, unpredictable virus.

And DH didn’t catch it.

 

Happy cruising to all!

Thanks for the update, its such an odd virus, and I don't want to sound like I'm dismissing it at all.  My wife felt run down for 5 days, only 1 days did she not work (remotely) because of fatique. She had what just seemed like a mild cold for most of that.   

 

In the 5 days prior to the cruise, the 5 day cruise, and the few days after, my wife and I were never apart for more than a few minutes at any time. Our vaccination status was the exact same.  I would say my wife is overall heathier than me.  When she tested  positive I had to test every couple of days and I was always negative and symptom free. 

[Teeara]

On 11/15/2022 at 2:27 PM, Cool Cowie said:

Gosh I was hoping for a wrap up to this live report!  Where is the OP go?

Sorry about that!  I hope to have a wrap up in a day or two.  We are among the many who came home and were immediately struck with the head cold that turned into Covid.  I have to say that today (Monday 11/21) is the first day I've felt human since we arrived home on Monday 11/14.  The head cold just sucked the life out of you once the coughing began and the not much sleeping, too.  I did finish my journal entries.  I just need to copy them over to here. 

[Teeara]

5 hours ago, MuyBueno said:

Thanks for asking. I was pretty miserable for the first 3 days. I’ve been feeling better each day for the last 4 days. About 95% back to normal; just some fatigue and a sore throat from coughing for 6 days.

My sister had mild symptoms and feels fine now. Oddly, I am healthier than her and unlike her, have no underlying medical issues, so we were both surprised that it hit me so much harder than her. COVID is such a peculiar, unpredictable virus.

And DH didn’t catch it.

 

Happy cruising to all!

I'm not surprised at all.

 

Pam started with a migraine on Friday 11/11 that turned into the head cold on 11/12 and was full blown miserable when we disembarked the ship on Sunday 11/13.  She had GI issues (not the Joe kind) and tested positive on Tuesday 11/15 whereas I started feeling sick on Tuesday and tested negative.  I had the worse cough of the two of us, but thankfully my Benzonatate worked and cut the coughing down so it only lasted a few days (sleeping on my wedge pillow since last Monday has also helped).  We re-tested yesterday (11/20) and Pam is still positive and now I'm positive.  Pam is back to sneezing and draining today and I'm hoping she's not having a rebound case of it.

 

Ugh.  I hate being sick.

[hollon]

I'm a little late to the party as they say. What broadway show is on the ship, was the ice skating and diving show any good? Anything different on this ship than the other oasis class ships, thanks

[FionaMG]

15 hours ago, Teeara said:

I'm not surprised at all.

 

Pam started with a migraine on Friday 11/11 that turned into the head cold on 11/12 and was full blown miserable when we disembarked the ship on Sunday 11/13.  She had GI issues (not the Joe kind) and tested positive on Tuesday 11/15 whereas I started feeling sick on Tuesday and tested negative.  I had the worse cough of the two of us, but thankfully my Benzonatate worked and cut the coughing down so it only lasted a few days (sleeping on my wedge pillow since last Monday has also helped).  We re-tested yesterday (11/20) and Pam is still positive and now I'm positive.  Pam is back to sneezing and draining today and I'm hoping she's not having a rebound case of it.

 

Ugh.  I hate being sick.

 

Thanks for your review.

Sorry to hear about you getting sick. I hope you will both start to feel better soon.

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Hoping you and my fellow cc’s are recovered and wishing all good health and thanksgiving happiness.

[island lady]

2 hours ago, hollon said:

I'm a little late to the party as they say. What broadway show is on the ship, was the ice skating and diving show any good? Anything different on this ship than the other oasis class ships, thanks

 

No Broadway shows on Wonder.  RCI is starting to do away with them.  Odyssey does not have them either. 

[hollon]

5 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

No Broadway shows on Wonder.  RCI is starting to do away with them.  Odyssey does not have them either. 

so what do they do in the main theater, or do they have a theater?

[gumshoe958]

13 minutes ago, hollon said:

so what do they do in the main theater, or do they have a theater?

Yes, there is a theater.

 

The production shows are Effectors 2 (spectacular tech but nonsense story aimed at kids) and Voices.

 

The ice and Aqua shows are brilliant.

 

And the Mason Jar bar, unique to Wonder, is a triumph if you like your country music although the restaurant is decidedly average.

 

Edited November 22, 2022 by gumshoe958

[Teeara]

Since the request was made for the rest of my posts and now that CC isn't having issues, I have access to a fully functioning computer with no internet issues and all the kinks seem to have been worked out, I'll post the rest of the cruise now.  My apologies for the delay.  Although I thought the internet was very good for the voyage, the CC issue was very bad for me and I also had a lot of trouble with my Kindle getting the journal entries to copy and paste properly.  So, without further ado...

 

Tuesday, November 8, 2022 - At sea in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean

 

Poor Pam woke up with morning with a migraine.  It wasn't a bad one, but it was enough to make her miserable.  She couldn't go back to the cabin since Lystra and Eko were still cleaning it so we went down the hallway to the Suite Sun Deck to see if it was warm enough to sit outside for a few minutes while they finished.  Oh my.

 

It was deliciously warm outside for a change and a soft breeze was blowing, but not so much as to make a person need a sweater or hat to stay warm.  And no one was in our favorite beach bed!  So we claimed it and Pam promptly sat back, closed her eyes and napped as I read my book.  I'm in the middle of "The Mayflower:  The Families, the Voyage and the Founding of America" by Rebecca Fraser.  It has been a very easy read (the kind you want to have on a long voyage like this).  After about 45 minutes I went to check on the room and it was clear so I sent Pam back to the room for her full nap.  She was curled up in a rather uncomfortable fashion on the beach bed and I didn't want her to end of with a pinched nerve in her neck to add to her woes.  I remained behind to read my book for the next couple of hours until the wind shifted and it got colder outside.

 

It was lunch time anyway so at the cabin I found Pam awake and ready for some lunch.  The worst of the migraine was over.  We decided to go check out El Loco Fresh.  We've never been there before. We got there right as the noontime rush was about to begin.  We were able to snag one of the last available tables that didn't have high chairs (I hate those things).  I had a chicken taco and a cheese quesadilla.  Pam had a chicken taco and a beef burrito.  They weren't bad, but since they were premade they were a bit on the cold side and, well, not very fresh since they weren't piping hot.  Also, if you don't like black beans, don't get the premade burritos.  They come inside them.  I also got a bowl of chips and queso.  The queso was really nice and I appreciated that it wasn't spicy. 

 

After lunch we returned to the cabin for more reading before getting ready for dinner at Coastal Kitchen.  They were repeating the first night's menu when I had the Moroccan Spiced Chicken Breast that was so yummy.  I was definitely having that for supper again!  Pam had it this time as well.  Arvin served us more of our "Whisky Gingers" which is his way of serving us our ginger ales.  Pam noticed that they were practicing on the high wire at the AquaTheater at the beginning part of our dinner.  I was at the wrong angle to see much of it, but it looked like a couple of people were doing it. 

One of the things I've found interesting as we've moved westward is that every night as we gain our hour, we've lost daylight.  So when we were in Barcelona, it was still bright outside at 5:30 when we had dinner.  Now when we sit down for dinner at 5:30 it's dark outside.  Just a little thing that I've noticed that I find "fascinating".

 

So tonight at 8:30 we had our Hot Stone Massages in the Vitality Spa.  They were 75 minutes long and were very nice.  I really liked that the ship wasn't rolling around too much during the massage.  Sure would've been embarrassing to roll off the table with no clothes on ;o)  We really like the Hot Stone Massages.  They feel so nice and they aren't so hot that they burn you.   The masseuse always checks to make sure that they are comfortable enough for you.

 

After our massages we returned to the cabin to watch a little bit of TV before our showers and then bedtime.  Once again we gain another hour tonight which will be nice. 

 

 

[Teeara]

Wednesday, November 9, 2022 - At sea in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean

 

This morning we woke up to a lot more clouds as we draw nearer to Tropical Storm Nicole.  The ocean is relatively smooth (once the ship slowed down).  It's been very nice during the day when we go slow.  Not much rocking with partly cloudy skies so far.  Not so today.  Today has been cloudy with the occasional downpour.

 

We didn't have anything on our agenda for today.  There wasn't anything in the Compass that we were really interested in doing which is fine for us.  We both are readers and love to just sit and read with a cup of tea in a comfy chair and some quiet music.  We're still on the search for the comfy chairs and quiet music here on Wonder.

 

After we had our Windjammer breakfast we decided to give the Solarium a shot.  Maybe they had some comfy loungers that looked out over the ocean that we could sit in and read our books.  Well, it looks like they do, but they were already taken by the time we got there (no great surprise since it was already past 9:00, but no big whup).  We aren't normally lounger people and this was a last minute decision.  We were able to find two loungers that did look out directly onto the ocean with no one in front of us which was nice.  They aren't the most comfortable, but they suited our purpose.  We sat on the starboard side (the side opposite the filtered sun) which also made us happy).  We watched as some dark clouds started approaching and all of a sudden a squall hit us.  I sure was glad Wonder's Solarium is entirely enclosed!  I felt bad for the people who I knew were sitting outside on the pool deck watching "Sing 2" though.  I noticed a lot of them weren't in bathing suits, but regular clothes since it's still on the coolish side today.  We stayed a little longer until another couple sat next to us and the woman started coughing up a storm.  Yeah, no thank you.  Mask on let's go.

 

 

We went down to the Royal Promenade looking for a place to sit.  We tried the Schooner Bar but it was full.  All the seats around Cafe Promenade, Sorrentos, the pub and the big silver ten gallon hat were full.  We slipped into the Karaoke bar and found some seats there.  It was a bit dim, but it would do.  I went out to go get us some tea when I noticed some chairs and table had opened up behind Starbucks.  I quickly grabbed Pam and our stuff and we snagged those spots.  Much better lighting AND the chairs were much more comfortable.  So if you're looking for a comfy place to sit and read, the chairs behind Starbucks are very nice (the benches not so much).

 

Anyway, we're sitting there and we noticed that the staff were starting to bring out the pirate ships.  It looks like we were just in time for the Anchor's Aweigh Parade!  Woo hoo!  I thought we had missed it.  The cruise director Mike came over the speakers to say it was 15 minutes until the parade and for people to choose a side to stand on.  Not much longer and the music began. 

 

It was a cute parade although I wasn't sure where it was coming from as I was shooting video for it.  Pam would call out to me when things would appear behind me.  I wish I had watched it before so I had an idea where to look.  But I loved the costumes and watching the crew members participate.  You could tell those who had been doing this for some time and those who were new and still learning the moves.  It was a right jolly fun parade.

 

 

Afterwards it was time for lunch so up to the Windjammer we went in search of a light lunch.  We have dinner tonight in Giovanni's at 5:30, so we didn't want to have anything too heavy.  I opted for a salad and some desserts.  Pam had a salad and a hot dog.  Then it was back to our cabin.

 

Today was another opportunity for the Wash and Fold Laundry Special for $34.99.  This will be our last one before we head home in a few days.  I'm not a fan of the paper bag, but at least it's bigger than the plastic bag they gave us on Navigator back in 2017.  I sure hope it doesn't rip!

 

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon reading and watching the sky darken with clouds.  At some point it did rain, but I was so engrossed in my book I missed it ;o)  Then it was time to get ready for out dinner at Giovanni's.

 

 

I should've been paying attention to the weather because it was indeed raining when we got to Central Park and there were no umbrellas, so we had to walk quickly to the restaurant.  Thankfully it wasn't too far and it wasn't raining too hard at that point.  We were seated next to the pizza oven (Pam was closest) so we were warm.  They had the sliding door open to outside and we certainly didn't want to be anywhere near there with it raining outside.

 

We both decided on the Caesar Salad for our appetizer.  Pam ordered a Margherita pizza and I ordered a Primavera pizza without the peppers.  We both enjoyed the garlic knots they served at the beginning.  Those were a hit.  We also ordered a glass of Chateau St. Michelle Rose.  We love pretty much anything from Chateau St. Michelle and usually have a couple of different varieties at home.  The pizzas arrived quickly and were very nice.  Pam loves a thin crust and Giovanni's has a pleasant texture and flavor to it.  The pizza oven gave it a nice crunch with no burn.  After almost finishing our pizzas we were given a shot of Limoncello (which we discovered we aren't fans of after buying a bottle at home).  But the Tiramisu and cappuccino were delicioso!

 

When it was time to leave we discovered that it was now pouring outside.  Oh dear!  The hostess went to the back and found us a big umbrella and we were able to make to the elevator banks without getting drenched which made a great ending to a great dinner.

 

Then back to the cabin for a quiet evening once again.

 

Edited November 22, 2022 by Teeara

[Teeara]

Thursday, November 10, 2022 - At Sea in the Atlantic Ocean

 

We are definitely feeling the effects of Hurricane Nicole today, although more so tonight than earlier today.  But let's not get ahead of ourselves shall we?

 

Today we were doing The Mason Jar for brunch.  We would've preferred to do it for dinner, but all the dinner slots were full so we had to settle for brunch.  Again, The Mason Jar wasn't on my list at all since I had wanted to do Solarium Bistro, but since the Pinnies have the Solarium Bistro for the entire cruise we don't have that option available to us.

 

 

 

 

 

I was a bit hesitant to even suggest The Mason Jar to Pam since not much on the brunch menu appealed to either of us.  Neither of us can have spicy things and there's a lot of spice on the menu.  But we were able to make do once we got there.  Pam ordered the Peanut Buttery Banana Overnight Oats which she said was very good, although she wasn't sure originally if it would be filling enough (it was).  I ordered the Crispy Chicken Sandwich (Regular) with no spicy remoulade.  I also asked for the crispy tater tots and was told they didn't have any.  What?  So I had french fries instead.  I love tater tots.  To not have tater tots should be against the law ;o)  We also asked if we could substitute the pimento cheese and jalapeno cornbread for Meemaw's biscuits and honey butter and they said yes and that was yummy.  I just wished the biscuits were warm.  The coffee was good, the water served in the mason jars was cute and the view was fantastic.

 

 

 

 

Afterwards we came back to the cabin, but it was being cleaned so we went to the Suite Sun Deck and found some chairs and a sofa and hung out there for about an hour.  It was lovely.  They were playing some great music down in the AquaTheater, there was pickleball being played on the basketball court, minigolf being played, the flowrider in action and one gal doing the zipline over and over.  The ocean was choppy with whitecaps, but the sky was blue and the air was finally warm.

 

 

 

Around noon we went back to the cabin since it was getting a little cooler and the wind was picking up.  When we looked out the window we could see rain in the distance.  I shot some video and took some pictures then went back inside to read.  We spent the rest of the afternoon reading our books and magazines.  I finally finished my book (yay!).  Pam finished hers as well (yay!).  Then it was time to start getting ready for dinner.

 

 

Tonight was our last formal night.  We had dinner at Coastal Kitchen.  We each had the Tomato Mozzarella salad.  I had the Braised Short Rib with creamy polenta, pearl onions and fava beans.  Pam had the Grilled New York Sirloin Steak with herb butter and mashed potatoes and grilled veggies.  We skipped dessert to have it later at the Windjammer.

 

Afterwards we went up to the Schooner Bar to sit and listen to the Big Band Music with the Wonder of the Seas Orchestra as they played on the Royal Promenade.  Pam colored on her phone (yes, there is an app for that!) as I am trying to finish reading "Moon Shot" by Deke Slayton and Alan Shepard" which is a history of the Apollo program.  According to my Kindle I have less than 30 minutes to go ;o)

 

We came back to the cabin around 9pm and watched an episode of Star Trek Discovery followed by "The Princess Bride" then it was time to get ready for bed.  The ship has really be rocking since right around dinner time.  I hadn't noticed it before then, although Pam said it has been doing it for awhile now.  Anyway, it feels like it did right after we left the Mediterranean.  It feels like someone who is first learning how to drive a car and keeps slamming on the brakes ;o)

 

Tomorrow will be a sad day since it will be our last full day at sea.  Hard to believe that we've been at sea for a week now).  Can we stay onboard for another week?

Edited November 22, 2022 by Teeara

[Teeara]

Friday, November 11, 2022 - At Sea approaching Nassau, Bahamas

 

I abruptly woke up this morning at 4:45 a.m.  The ship felt like it had come to a standstill and there was a strange sound coming from outside.  I got up off the sofa and looked outside, but I didn't see anything.  I was going to try to go back to sleep, but figured this might be my last shot at getting any video of the ship when it was practically empty so I decided to get up and go out.

 

I started here on Deck 18 with the Suite Sun Deck and noticed the sky was already starting to brighten in the distance.  Morning was approaching which means I didn't have much time before the early risers would start making their appearance.  Making my way down to Deck 5 and the Royal Promenade there were already a bunch of people camped out at Cafe Promenade on one end and Starbucks at the other end.  Coffee drinkers need to get their early morning fix.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dropping down to Deck 4 I made my way through the musical Casino Royale to check out all the slot machines and table games.  Most of the table games had minimum bids of $5, although I think a few had $6 minimum bids.  Then it was a quick jaunt through the Park West art gallery and up the elevator to the Pool Deck where some people were already in the hot tubs since the pools were still covered with water sloshing around due to the motion of the ocean.

 

 

 

I decided to check out the Solarium to see how the chair hogs were doing saving seats at 6:30 a.m. and by then all of the prime round loungers were taken.  Most of them actually had people on them (so kudos to those people who actually got up early and were using them).  A few of them just had the towels and books on them).  The vast majority of loungers were still towel-free.  All of the pools were closed although the cantilivered whirlpools were open for business, although no one was in them yet. 

 

I went up another deck to walk around the track overlooking the pool areas.  Only one of the cabanas was showing as being reserved for the day.  All of the rest of them were still available for rental.  Not surprising since I think most people will find them not worth the extra price.

 

On to El Loco Fresh to check out the breakfast offerings which were out, but covered with plastic wrap.  It looked like they had eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, french toast, taters and a few other things.  Condensation on the plastic wrap made it a bit difficult to see what was inside.  Where the condiments were was a fresh fruit and yogurt bar set up that looked rather nice. 

 

The area around the mini golf and the basketball court was swimming in water.  One of the crew was out there with a machine clearing away the water.  By now it was 7 a.m. and time for me to return to the cabin to get Pam for breakfast.

 

We had a fairly quiet day planned.  Pam thinks she might be coming down with a cold.  She thought she might take a nap so I went out to the Suite Sun Deck to read for a little bit.  At 11:00 the captain came on over the speakers to say that we were going to have 2 minutes of silence in remembrance of those who fought in all wars since today is November 11th, Veteran's Day.  It was a very moving 2 minutes. 

 

Pam and I had our last meal at Coastal Kitchen for lunch today with Alvin.  It was the best of the remaining meals to be had and we wanted to let Alvin know how much we enjoyed having him as our waiter.   We will miss him.  After lunch it was time for a walk so we did the walking track on deck 5 which took about 15 minutes.

 

 

We spent the afternoon reading and I finally had to take a nap (I did only get about 4 hours of sleep last night).  We took a late dinner at the Windjammer tonight.  Pam had some salmon, rice and veggies.  I had prime rib, mashed potatoes and fried chicken.  I also tried their chicken egg drop soup which was really nice.

 

Then it was down to the Royal Promenade for some last minute shopping before heading back to the cabin for the night.

Edited November 22, 2022 by Teeara

[island lady]

58 minutes ago, hollon said:

so what do they do in the main theater, or do they have a theater?

 

Theater:  Voices, Effectors 2....and headliners.  

[Teeara]

Saturday, November 12, 2022 - Nassau, Bahamas

 

Today is the last full day of our cruise and our first day "on land" since leaving Malaga 8 days ago.  We're docked at Nassau, Bahamas.  Since Pam and I were here a year ago during our Indy cruise we decided not to get off the ship since we weren't particularly impressed with the port.

 

I originally had a deep tissue massage booked for 8 a.m.  Instead I spoke with Joy and we switched it to a Swedish massage with hot stone massage and she increased it to a 75 minute massage from the 50 minute massage I had paid for since the deep tissue massage was more expensive.  I told her I wanted something more gentle since the last 4 massages have been pretty intense working on my left shoulder and my back and neck.  It was just what I needed and a nice way to end the cruise.

 

Back to the cabin and Pam was awake.  She definitely has a cold poor thing.  That's going to make tomorrow's flights miserable for her.  We have a long day since our first flight isn't until 4:45 in the afternoon and we'll probably be off the ship by 8 a.m.  So while she was getting dressed I went ahead and booked us a day hotel at the Hyatt at the Orlando airport for tomorrow from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  That way she can take a nap if she wants to get some rest before our flights.

 

We went for a late breakfast and then came back to the cabin so she could take a nap and I could start packing.  I figured if I could get my packing done while she was napping then she could pack while I was at Izumi for the last dinner tonight (since there's no way she's going to be up for that tonight). 

We have company docked next to us.  Freedom of the Seas came in this morning and it's a little further down from us.  We're sharing the same pier.  It's funny to be looking down on her after being on her sister ship Independence in November last year and we were looking down on Serenade of the Seas when we were at Coco Cay.

 

 

Pam woke up from her nap around 4 pm just and I was close to finishing my packing and needing to get ready for dinner which was at 5:15.  I closed up my suitcases so she could lay them out where I had mine set out.  Then it was time for me to go.

 

Izumi is a joint sushi bar and hibachi restaurant.  I love hibachi dining (like Benihana's) and was really looking forward to tonight.  There were already 4 others seated at the grill when I got there.  One other couple showed up shortly after I was seated and we were ready to go.

 

They start out with bowls of edamame which I'm not allowed to eat since they're soybeans and I'm not supposed to eat soy due to my hypothyroidism.  Then our chef came out and started with the jokes and songs (mostly 70s disco and 80s new wave due to the ages of us at the table).  We had an extremely engaging table which was fun.  We didn't hear much from the table behind us.  We were laughing and singing along which was fun and I'm sure helped the chef.  He played with eggs making them dance and then disappear and reappear and then broke them making a heart on the big griddle.  He made a big omelette then made it into a snake before chopping it up and putting it into this gigantic mound of rice.  Then it was time to saute the garlic and onion and get that in the rice, mix it up with the egg, add some soy sauce and serve it up in bowls.  It was soooo good.

 

 

While we were enjoying the rice he sauteed some veggies and some tofu for the lady next to me who was a vegetarian.  We each received some of the veggies.  I was a bit worried at first since there was a lot of peppers in the veggie pile, but thankfully when I got by share of veggies there were only 3 small pieces that were easy to pick out. 

 

Then it was time to start on the meat.  Most of the people had chosen the two protein combos.  So some had chicken and shrimp or steak and shrimp or lobster and shrimp.  I just wanted shrimp.  I've had each of the combos before and have always walked away feeling overly full and didn't want to feel that way tonight.  I'm so glad I made that decision.  I'm also glad I just asked for ginger ale, too, rather than a drink.  The guy to the right of me was drinking sake and he was downing it like it was ginger ale.  He wasn't inebriated in any way, but boy, I sure hope he didn't have a hangover the next day getting off the ship.  Sake packs a punch.

 

Anyway, the people who ordered chicken got theirs first, then the filet mignon folks got theirs next and then those of us with shrimp got ours and it was ginormous shrimp.  And it was delicious.  Combined with the rice and the veggies it was just right.  I gobbled mine right up.  There was even a little bit of meat left over and I was able to have some of it as well.  Very tasty, but again, I'm glad I didn't order it as well as the shrimp.  It would've been just too much.

 

Then it was time for dessert.  I ordered the assorted mochi ice cream balls.  I wasn't sure if I would like them or not.  I'm not a fan of mochi but these were a pleasant surprise.  I had 3 balls.  One was chocolate, one was strawberry and one was mango and they were served on a bed of red raspberry sauce.  It was a cool and refreshing end to a pleasant dining experience.

 

Leaving Izumi I made one last tour of the Royal Promenade and went to the shops to see if there was any last purchases to make.  I picked up a Christmas ornament for our tree and then returned to the cabin to find Pam in the middle of packing.  All of our luggage had to be out in the hallway by 10 pm (it was now 7 pm) and she needed help so I changed my clothes and helped her finish packing.

 

 

Pam wants to get up at 4:30 a.m. tomorrow so we can be in the Suite Lounge by 6 a.m. (they will start disembarking Suite passengers at 7 a.m.).  Hopefully they will have some breakfast for us at that time.

Edited November 23, 2022 by Teeara

[Teeara]

Sunday, November 13, 2022 - Disembarkation Day

 

Well, disembarkation day is finally here.  It's always a sad day to get off a cruise ship but also a relief to be going home to sleep in your own bed, too.  I know Pam is really looking forward to it this time since she's got a fully raging cold going on right now.

 

 

 

She was up at 4:30 and I was up at 5:00.  We wanted to be out of the cabin by 6 and in the Suite Lounge.  I'm hoping they have some breakfast for us.  I mistakenly packed the last day printout in my luggage (I do this every time and I tell myself I need to take a photo of it so I have it with me on disembarkation day!).

 

 

We didn't take showers this morning since we planned on doing that at the Hyatt when we got there later in the morning (that way we won't have to shower when we get home tonight and can go straight to bed).  So we just focused on finishing up on packing our last essentials and then getting down to Deck 17 and the Suite Lounge where they were setting up for breakfast.  Lo and behold they were also serving a regular breakfast as well! So we were able to have one last meal with our beloved Arvin and it was just grand.

 

 

We then moved over to wait in the lounge area after breakfast and at 7:30 one of the concierges came over to say they were ready for us and if we followed him we could leave the ship.  So we gathered up our bags and we followed the others to the elevators.  We had our passports and our cruise cards out one last time and then we were heading down the gangway.

 

We expected to reach the bottom and have a simple facial recognition, gather our luggage and then leave like we did last November.  Instead we found total chaos.  People were in line saying we had to find our luggage and then had to get in line.  We fought our way through the line of people who already had their luggage and quickly found a porter.  He asked us what our number was.  We didn't have a number, but told him we were in a suite and he took us to where the suites had their luggage.  We quickly found our luggage and piled everything on his cart.  Then he led us through the throngs of people to the "fast" lane which really wasn't that fast, but was dedicated to those utilizing porters.

We breezed through customs since we hadn't bought a lot of jewelry or booze or exceeded our customs amount and then were taken to where we were to catch the bus to take us to Alamo to pick up our rental car (which has a much shorter line than the one for Budget AND it's much closer to the port than Budget is).  A porter is ALWAYS worth the $20 I pay them to haul my luggage after a cruise.

 

 

We quickly got our SUV and we drove to Orlando and to a Publix close to the airport.  We wanted to pick up some Publix reusable shopping bags as well as get some lunch (less expensive than what we would get at the airport) and some Kleenex for Pam.  Oh, and some Diet Coke.  There was only Coke Zero in Spain and onboard Wonder.  Pam was dying for a Diet Coke ;o)

 

Back in the car and it was a five minute drive to the car rental return at the airport.  We saw another porter who loaded our luggage on his cart and took us directly to the Hyatt where we checked in and with a Hyatt porter's assistance, quickly found our room overlooking the parking garage and the airplanes taxiing in the distance.

 

 

We decided to take our showers now and rearrange our luggage, then eat our lunches then take an hour nap before quickly packing our luggage to go check in for our flights at 2:45.  We had made arrangements for a porter to come to our room at 2:45, but he came at 2:30 which was a surprise since we woke up from our nap at 2:10.  It was a mad scramble to quickly finish our packing, put on our shoes, load his cart and get out the door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But once again, he was incredible helpful.  He took us directly to the Southwest check-in terminal, helped us get our luggage tags, put them on our luggage, got our luggage safely checked in and then showed us where the TSA Pre-Chek line was. 

 

Our flight to Baltimore was uneventful and full.  We had breakfast at the Silver Diner at BWI (I usually eat there) and then it was time to board our 10 p.m. flight to Boston.  Again, another full flight.  I slept through the entire flight and we landed at 11:15.  I was happy to see that all our luggage made it safely to us even though I forgot to track it.  Pam didn't though.

 

Our taxi service picked us up and drove us to the Braintree Park and Ride and we were able to get Pam's car, loaded it up and get home safe and sound with a big pack of mail waiting in the mailbox.  We were home by 12:30 a.m. on Monday.

 

So how was this trip?

 

I cannot in all honesty say it was the trip of a lifetime.  It didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped.  Covid put a huge wrench in it when it caused the 2020 Allure cruise to be canceled.  We had such a spectacular group of people going on that cruise and although the group on this cruise was great, it didn't have the same dynamics as the 2020 group.  There was so much more lively activity on the 2020 roll call than on this roll call by comparison.  But we met some wonderful people during this cruise and that I absolutely do NOT regret.

 

Pam's torn meniscus was a huge blow to our plans.  Her injury and mobility issues limited our ability to explore Barcelona and the Spanish ports the way we had researched and planned for the last several years.  That was a bummer for both of us and I know that she was just as disappointed as I was.  I know she was incredibly disappointed not to find the shopping as good as she had hoped, both on land and sea.

 

I was surprised by how "depressed" I felt with this cruise, both before and during it.  The stress of the Covid test was overpowering.  What would happen if either of us tested positive and was unable to sail?  When I tested negative at Hotel Jazz I wanted to burst into tears with relief.  Such a burden was lifted at that moment and then to have another one lifted when Pam, too, tested negative was incredible.

 

I remember when I was getting my massages and Joy and Seilu were giving me those head massages.  Those simple head massages felt more releasing of tension than the rest of the massages had been.  I think so many of us have been living under these conditions of Covid for the last three years now and don't realize just how much tension has built up inside that needs to be released.

 

I had so many plans for my YouTube channel (The Empty Armchair) for this cruise with video ideas that simply weren't shot.  I was overwhelmed and just shut down during the first half of the cruise.  We spent most of our time during the cruise in our cabin.  The noise on the ship was just too much for us.  So many people onboard in one place (and the ship was sailing at only 2/3 capacity).  We escaped to our cabin more often than not for the silence and safety it provided.

 

So would I do a transatlantic again?  Not any time soon.  Again, this is supposed to be the first leg of our around the world cruise, so the next cruise would be the Panama Canal.  I see no need to do a transatlantic again until after all of those legs are completed.  As mentioned before, my next cruise is in March 2023 with my mom on Royal Princess out of San Francisco to Hawaii.  Hopefully it will be better, but I'm not holding my breath.  Traveling during winter is never my preferred time of year AND I'm not looking forward to Royal Princess.  The ONLY things that I'm looking forward to is sailing with my mom and my friends Ron, Linda and Lisa.

 

So that ends this cruise.  Maybe not the way we had originally planned way back in 2018, but again, God knows the plans He has for us.  Plans to prosper us and not to harm us.  Plans to give us hope and a future.  May our futures be filled with cruises that are stress-free, Covid-free and fun-filled.  Hopefully I'll "sea" you onboard someday.

Edited November 23, 2022 by Teeara

[BillOh]

25 minutes ago, Teeara said:

Sunday, November 13, 2022 - Disembarkation Day

 

Well, disembarkation day is finally here.  It's always a sad day to get off a cruise ship

Thanks for taking the time, I appreciate the reading and pics till its my turn!

[Teeara]

7 hours ago, BillOh said:

Thanks for taking the time, I appreciate the reading and pics till its my turn!

You're welcome!  Sorry for all the technical issues.  It was half CC issues and half my Kindle issues.  I have to say we were pretty impressed with the internet during the entire TA.  It had it's spotty times, but for the most part we had a signal for nearly the entire cruise.  I would definitely have it again going forward.  I need to get it for my Hawaii cruise next year and the new Panama Canal cruise I just booked this morning on Radiance for 2024.

[Teeara]

For those who are interested, I am starting to download videos on my YouTube Channel (The Empty Armchair) for this sailing.  First one just posted (shot a week prior to sailing) and then I hope to have the first "official" one which was our flight to Barcelona by this weekend.  I also have some video from the JFK American Airlines Admirals Club Lounge (and shower!) in it.  Well worth the money if you're planning on a redeye through JFK.  That shower was really nice since we weren't able to check into our hotel until 24 hours later, so it was nice to have that shower prior to boarding the plane.  We only paid $59 for a day pass since we didn't have any cards with access to it.

[BillOh]

On 11/23/2022 at 3:53 PM, Teeara said:

For those who are interested, I am starting to download videos on my YouTube Channel (The Empty Armchair) only paid $59 for a day pass since we didn't have any cards with access to it.

FYI, had to make the  THE is in the search to find it.

[Maticus22]

Quick question for you.   Were you able to book a room at the Hyatt for just a couple hours or did you have to get it for overnight even though you had a flight same day?  We are cruising in March on Wonder and our flight doesn't leave till after 6pm

[Teeara]

On 11/28/2022 at 11:58 AM, Maticus22 said:

Quick question for you.   Were you able to book a room at the Hyatt for just a couple hours or did you have to get it for overnight even though you had a flight same day?  We are cruising in March on Wonder and our flight doesn't leave till after 6pm

You can book it for just a few hours.  You need to call the hotel directly though to make the reservation.  Ask for a "day room" and let them know the hours that you want it for.  Our time frame was 10am-6pm, I think, but we left at 2:30 since our flight left at 4:30.  It was fantastic.  We were able to take showers prior to our flights so that once we got home around 1 a.m. we just went straight to bed.  Well worth the $$$.  Oh, and we stopped at Publix before dropping the car off at the car rental return at the airport.  We got some lunch at Publix which was a lot less than what you would pay to use the hotel's restaurant.

Edited December 1, 2022 by Teeara