Live from the Sky Princess- January 28, 2023 Our Big Old “Do-Over” Cruise

[TracieABD]

 

February 2, 2023

Costa Maya, Mexico

 

Groundhog Day!

Seriously. Groundhog Day.

 

Hi friends-

 

It’s another beautiful day on this beautiful ship. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Again, we slept so well. Is it the bed? Is it the gentle rocking? Is it the fact that our stupidly high maintenance Italian Greyhound is not running our lives? Who knows! Who cares!

 

I missed yoga this morning. I will do it on my own this afternoon. That is how it works on these cruises- we don’t over schedule- then it is less guilt when we whiff at port/ meal/ activity. That is how we roll. We are fortunate enough to live a short flight from port and are semi-retired, so we can go a bit more often.

 

Breakfast was again in the IC- with all of its delicious and healthy choices. We are docked next to the Carnival Pride and the RC Allure of the Seas. The size difference between the ships is astounding. The Pride is about 2100 and Allure is sailing with 5600 (one of their passengers offered that tidbit of info). Take a minute to let that sink in… 5600 passengers! Wow. Just wow. Not sure that would be my thing. I am including a picture for reference- just look at the difference in the hull for the two ships. Massive!

 

We moved on up to the Sanctuary. It was quiet in the morning- though completely booked. Costa Maya is a walk-off port- so maybe most people went aboard. We are some of the only people up there today. However, we had a cabana of loud talkers… might be time for headphones.

 

It stared to rain a bit- so we found shelter to conduct our business. I made a critical error on our return flight that Jon- who has more status- spent an hour and a little money correcting. Jon and I have a shared philosophy- “The best kind of problems are those that you can throw a little money at.”  It keeps stuff in perspective for us. We are lucky we can do that.

 

We have been eating our lunch up in the Sanctuary each day- off their menu. Loving the set up of the bento boxes. I just love food that is neatly sorted and stuffed into little buckets. What more could a girl ask for- healthy, delicious, and well organized!

 

All aboard was at 4:30, but I think that most people were on well before that. With potentially 10,000 passengers ashore- it was just too much for Jon and me- and probably a lot of other people as well. The Sanctuary was full by 3 pm tea time. This was our last day in the Sanctuary for this cruise. We said goodbye to the stewards and headed back to the cabin.

 

As an aside- we learned a little lesson- the hard way. Both Jon and I are still working- somewhat- and we banked on having great phone/internet service in Costa Maya, just like Cozumel. That sadly did not happen. We found out that Costa Maya is a 6 hour car ride from Cancun… and that it is pretty remote. Cell service is spotty and slow, if at all. Add to that 10,000 passengers and well, you get the picture. We have actually done better with the ship’s internet.

 

It was the second formal-not formal night. They are calling it “Dress to Impress”. We dressed, though I am not sure if anyone was impressed. We had a reservation for Sabitini’s but ran into our assistant waiter in the IC- and he reminded Jon that it was lobster night. We quickly changed our reservation to Friday- and made the MDR our destination.

 

For dinner, I had the wedge salad- which was on par with a wedge that you might find at a fine dining steakhouse like DelFriscos or Mortons. I also had the panko fried tofu- which was the absolute best agadashi-style tofu I have ever had. I should have just ordered three more of those, but sadly I am supposed to limit my soy intake (IYKYK). We both ordered the surf and turf- or land and sea- or pasture and ocean- or whatever they call it. I eat no seafood or fish. None. So, Jon was tasked with eating my lobster and his lobster. If you have a shellfish allergy (I do not), they place the lobster tail on the steak- so there I am- with staring at a lobster butt planted on my steak… Hmmm. I had the pistachio dome for dessert and Jon had a third lobster tail.

 

We tried to sit through the production show “Five Skies” in the Princess Theater. Holy weirdness, Bat Folk, what the actual heck was that?!?! Something about a guy who has to negotiate through 5 levels- lots of strange EDM, talking screens, an narrating amatron, and funky costumes- but the dancing was excellent. Maybe on another day, I would have found it intriguing, however, I am sad to report that we were among the throng of confused people who were in mass exit- mid performance. Actually, I have never seen anything like it on a Princess ship. I am certain that Princess paid a ton for the production- but they may want to consider their primary audience and cut their losses on that one. JMO.

 

In lieu of the show, we decided to play cards and backgammon in the IC. It was hopping! So many people. There was a contortionist who hula hooped for a seven minute performance and then the Motown-based band.

 

At about 8:30, we gave up the ghost and went up to bed. And in the spirit of Groundhog Day- it was another amazing day on a cruise ship!

 

Anyone want to try to explain “Five Skies” to me? I’m all ears!

Thanks for following along!

 

More later!

Tracie-Lynn

[morechances]

43 minutes ago, TracieABD said:

 

February 2, 2023

Costa Maya, Mexico

 

Groundhog Day!

Seriously. Groundhog Day.

 

Hi friends-

 

It’s another beautiful day on this beautiful ship. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Again, we slept so well. Is it the bed? Is it the gentle rocking? Is it the fact that our stupidly high maintenance Italian Greyhound is not running our lives? Who knows! Who cares!

 

I missed yoga this morning. I will do it on my own this afternoon. That is how it works on these cruises- we don’t over schedule- then it is less guilt when we whiff at port/ meal/ activity. That is how we roll. We are fortunate enough to live a short flight from port and are semi-retired, so we can go a bit more often.

 

Breakfast was again in the IC- with all of its delicious and healthy choices. We are docked next to the Carnival Pride and the RC Allure of the Seas. The size difference between the ships is astounding. The Pride is about 2100 and Allure is sailing with 5600 (one of their passengers offered that tidbit of info). Take a minute to let that sink in… 5600 passengers! Wow. Just wow. Not sure that would be my thing. I am including a picture for reference- just look at the difference in the hull for the two ships. Massive!

 

We moved on up to the Sanctuary. It was quiet in the morning- though completely booked. Costa Maya is a walk-off port- so maybe most people went aboard. We are some of the only people up there today. However, we had a cabana of loud talkers… might be time for headphones.

 

It stared to rain a bit- so we found shelter to conduct our business. I made a critical error on our return flight that Jon- who has more status- spent an hour and a little money correcting. Jon and I have a shared philosophy- “The best kind of problems are those that you can throw a little money at.”  It keeps stuff in perspective for us. We are lucky we can do that.

 

We have been eating our lunch up in the Sanctuary each day- off their menu. Loving the set up of the bento boxes. I just love food that is neatly sorted and stuffed into little buckets. What more could a girl ask for- healthy, delicious, and well organized!

 

All aboard was at 4:30, but I think that most people were on well before that. With potentially 10,000 passengers ashore- it was just too much for Jon and me- and probably a lot of other people as well. The Sanctuary was full by 3 pm tea time. This was our last day in the Sanctuary for this cruise. We said goodbye to the stewards and headed back to the cabin.

 

As an aside- we learned a little lesson- the hard way. Both Jon and I are still working- somewhat- and we banked on having great phone/internet service in Costa Maya, just like Cozumel. That sadly did not happen. We found out that Costa Maya is a 6 hour car ride from Cancun… and that it is pretty remote. Cell service is spotty and slow, if at all. Add to that 10,000 passengers and well, you get the picture. We have actually done better with the ship’s internet.

 

It was the second formal-not formal night. They are calling it “Dress to Impress”. We dressed, though I am not sure if anyone was impressed. We had a reservation for Sabitini’s but ran into our assistant waiter in the IC- and he reminded Jon that it was lobster night. We quickly changed our reservation to Friday- and made the MDR our destination.

 

For dinner, I had the wedge salad- which was on par with a wedge that you might find at a fine dining steakhouse like DelFriscos or Mortons. I also had the panko fried tofu- which was the absolute best agadashi-style tofu I have ever had. I should have just ordered three more of those, but sadly I am supposed to limit my soy intake (IYKYK). We both ordered the surf and turf- or land and sea- or pasture and ocean- or whatever they call it. I eat no seafood or fish. None. So, Jon was tasked with eating my lobster and his lobster. If you have a shellfish allergy (I do not), they place the lobster tail on the steak- so there I am- with staring at a lobster butt planted on my steak… Hmmm. I had the pistachio dome for dessert and Jon had a third lobster tail.

 

We tried to sit through the production show “Five Skies” in the Princess Theater. Holy weirdness, Bat Folk, what the actual heck was that?!?! Something about a guy who has to negotiate through 5 levels- lots of strange EDM, talking screens, an narrating amatron, and funky costumes- but the dancing was excellent. Maybe on another day, I would have found it intriguing, however, I am sad to report that we were among the throng of confused people who were in mass exit- mid performance. Actually, I have never seen anything like it on a Princess ship. I am certain that Princess paid a ton for the production- but they may want to consider their primary audience and cut their losses on that one. JMO.

 

In lieu of the show, we decided to play cards and backgammon in the IC. It was hopping! So many people. There was a contortionist who hula hooped for a seven minute performance and then the Motown-based band.

 

At about 8:30, we gave up the ghost and went up to bed. And in the spirit of Groundhog Day- it was another amazing day on a cruise ship!

 

Anyone want to try to explain “Five Skies” to me? I’m all ears!

Thanks for following along!

 

More later!

Tracie-Lynn

Think short version of Ready Player One, the movie from a few years ago. Inside the game of a video game.  I know, still does not make sense.  

Basically,  a video game comes to life.

[Alcairns]

22 hours ago, TracieABD said:

We attended the production show in the Princess theater. It is their guest singer Ross Hunter- who has a rather impressive “West End” pedigree.

I love the way Ross Hunter is presented as a guest singer! He has been on every cruise we have been on Sky Princess before and after lockdown! Nevertheless he is talented and his stand alone show is very good! 

[MustangGT]

Tracie - can’t thank you enough for your Live!!  I always enjoy them but we are boarding on Saturday and your posts have amped up our excitement!  We are doing a B2B and, like you guys, have no big plans except enjoying the ship!  We have scheduled the Helmet Dive excursion in Cozumel but other than that, no “have to be doing”.
Except some Pickleball.  Yes, we have gone over to the dark side!  Lol!! We have only been playing for a couple of months but the addiction is real! 🤣😂

Safe travels and can’t wait to read about your next adventure!

[Astro Flyer]

2 hours ago, TracieABD said:

I am including a picture for reference- just look at the difference in the hull for the two ships. Massive!

Here’s a photo I took in Genoa in November 2019 showing our ship the Sky Princess docked next to Pacific Princess (now the Azamara Onward)…also a massive difference!

 

We never sailed on one of the Renaissance Cruise ships when they were sailing for Princess but are booked on 2 of them as Oceania ships. At nearly 1/5 the size & less than 1/5 the passenger capacity of Sky it’ll be a different cruise experience & we’ll enjoy all of them. 😁

 

[TracieABD]

5 hours ago, MustangGT said:

Tracie - can’t thank you enough for your Live!!  I always enjoy them but we are boarding on Saturday and your posts have amped up our excitement!  We are doing a B2B and, like you guys, have no big plans except enjoying the ship!  We have scheduled the Helmet Dive excursion in Cozumel but other than that, no “have to be doing”.
Except some Pickleball.  Yes, we have gone over to the dark side!  Lol!! We have only been playing for a couple of months but the addiction is real! 🤣😂

Safe travels and can’t wait to read about your next adventure!

I hope you have a wonderful cruise!  In 24 hours, you will be sailing far away!!!

Bon voyage!

[TracieABD]

5 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

Here’s a photo I took in Genoa in November 2019 showing our ship the Sky Princess docked next to Pacific Princess (now the Azamara Onward)…also a massive difference!

 

We never sailed on one of the Renaissance Cruise ships when they were sailing for Princess but are booked on 2 of them as Oceania ships. At nearly 1/5 the size & less than 1/5 the passenger capacity of Sky it’ll be a different cruise experience & we’ll enjoy all of them. 😁

 

That is just flipping amazing!  It’s like the Sky could swallow the Pacific whole… and still have room for dessert!

[trinitygirl]

6 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

Here’s a photo I took in Genoa in November 2019 showing our ship the Sky Princess docked next to Pacific Princess (now the Azamara Onward)…also a massive difference!

WOW!!!  that is just amazing.  thank you for that visual comparison.  I've not yet been on a truly huge ship, this August I'll be on the Enchanted and then in November the Sky Princess and they will be an interesting comparison to my previous experiences!

[MustangGT]

9 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

Here’s a photo I took in Genoa in November 2019 showing our ship the Sky Princess docked next to Pacific Princess (now the Azamara Onward)…also a massive difference!

 

We never sailed on one of the Renaissance Cruise ships when they were sailing for Princess but are booked on 2 of them as Oceania ships. At nearly 1/5 the size & less than 1/5 the passenger capacity of Sky it’ll be a different cruise experience & we’ll enjoy all of them. 😁

 

Thanks for sharing the picture!  We sailed Venice round trip on the Pacific Princess in 2017 and board the Sky Princess tomorrow for our first cruise on that ship!

We loved the Pacific Princess and hope you enjoy the Oceania ships!

Edited February 4, 2023 by MustangGT

[Astro Flyer]

3 hours ago, trinitygirl said:

WOW!!!  that is just amazing.  thank you for that visual comparison.  I've not yet been on a truly huge ship, this August I'll be on the Enchanted and then in November the Sky Princess and they will be an interesting comparison to my previous experiences!

At 30,000 tons that Pacific Princess is 1/3 larger than the original Love Boat Pacific Princess (20,000 tons) which we sailed for 5 days from Ensenada to Honolulu in 1992.

 

We’ve sailed on all of the Royal-class ships except Enchanted & hopefully you’ll enjoy your cruises as much as us.

 

 

[Astro Flyer]

4 hours ago, TracieABD said:

That is just flipping amazing!  It’s like the Sky could swallow the Pacific whole… and still have room for dessert!

It could almost fit on Lido deck! ☺️

 

[Tyskie]

@Astro Flyer  What a size comparison!  We'll be on the Enchanted this week coming and also trying Oceania for the first time this Sept.  Excited for both!

[Whitewings2]

On 2/3/2023 at 6:28 AM, TracieABD said:

 

February 2, 2023

Costa Maya, Mexico

 

Groundhog Day!

Seriously. Groundhog Day.

 

Hi friends-

 

It’s another beautiful day on this beautiful ship. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Again, we slept so well. Is it the bed? Is it the gentle rocking? Is it the fact that our stupidly high maintenance Italian Greyhound is not running our lives? Who knows! Who cares!

 

I missed yoga this morning. I will do it on my own this afternoon. That is how it works on these cruises- we don’t over schedule- then it is less guilt when we whiff at port/ meal/ activity. That is how we roll. We are fortunate enough to live a short flight from port and are semi-retired, so we can go a bit more often.

 

Breakfast was again in the IC- with all of its delicious and healthy choices. We are docked next to the Carnival Pride and the RC Allure of the Seas. The size difference between the ships is astounding. The Pride is about 2100 and Allure is sailing with 5600 (one of their passengers offered that tidbit of info). Take a minute to let that sink in… 5600 passengers! Wow. Just wow. Not sure that would be my thing. I am including a picture for reference- just look at the difference in the hull for the two ships. Massive!

 

We moved on up to the Sanctuary. It was quiet in the morning- though completely booked. Costa Maya is a walk-off port- so maybe most people went aboard. We are some of the only people up there today. However, we had a cabana of loud talkers… might be time for headphones.

 

It stared to rain a bit- so we found shelter to conduct our business. I made a critical error on our return flight that Jon- who has more status- spent an hour and a little money correcting. Jon and I have a shared philosophy- “The best kind of problems are those that you can throw a little money at.”  It keeps stuff in perspective for us. We are lucky we can do that.

 

We have been eating our lunch up in the Sanctuary each day- off their menu. Loving the set up of the bento boxes. I just love food that is neatly sorted and stuffed into little buckets. What more could a girl ask for- healthy, delicious, and well organized!

 

All aboard was at 4:30, but I think that most people were on well before that. With potentially 10,000 passengers ashore- it was just too much for Jon and me- and probably a lot of other people as well. The Sanctuary was full by 3 pm tea time. This was our last day in the Sanctuary for this cruise. We said goodbye to the stewards and headed back to the cabin.

 

As an aside- we learned a little lesson- the hard way. Both Jon and I are still working- somewhat- and we banked on having great phone/internet service in Costa Maya, just like Cozumel. That sadly did not happen. We found out that Costa Maya is a 6 hour car ride from Cancun… and that it is pretty remote. Cell service is spotty and slow, if at all. Add to that 10,000 passengers and well, you get the picture. We have actually done better with the ship’s internet.

 

It was the second formal-not formal night. They are calling it “Dress to Impress”. We dressed, though I am not sure if anyone was impressed. We had a reservation for Sabitini’s but ran into our assistant waiter in the IC- and he reminded Jon that it was lobster night. We quickly changed our reservation to Friday- and made the MDR our destination.

 

For dinner, I had the wedge salad- which was on par with a wedge that you might find at a fine dining steakhouse like DelFriscos or Mortons. I also had the panko fried tofu- which was the absolute best agadashi-style tofu I have ever had. I should have just ordered three more of those, but sadly I am supposed to limit my soy intake (IYKYK). We both ordered the surf and turf- or land and sea- or pasture and ocean- or whatever they call it. I eat no seafood or fish. None. So, Jon was tasked with eating my lobster and his lobster. If you have a shellfish allergy (I do not), they place the lobster tail on the steak- so there I am- with staring at a lobster butt planted on my steak… Hmmm. I had the pistachio dome for dessert and Jon had a third lobster tail.

 

We tried to sit through the production show “Five Skies” in the Princess Theater. Holy weirdness, Bat Folk, what the actual heck was that?!?! Something about a guy who has to negotiate through 5 levels- lots of strange EDM, talking screens, an narrating amatron, and funky costumes- but the dancing was excellent. Maybe on another day, I would have found it intriguing, however, I am sad to report that we were among the throng of confused people who were in mass exit- mid performance. Actually, I have never seen anything like it on a Princess ship. I am certain that Princess paid a ton for the production- but they may want to consider their primary audience and cut their losses on that one. JMO.

 

In lieu of the show, we decided to play cards and backgammon in the IC. It was hopping! So many people. There was a contortionist who hula hooped for a seven minute performance and then the Motown-based band.

 

At about 8:30, we gave up the ghost and went up to bed. And in the spirit of Groundhog Day- it was another amazing day on a cruise ship!

 

Anyone want to try to explain “Five Skies” to me? I’m all ears!

Thanks for following along!

 

More later!

Tracie-Lynn

We saw that production on the Sky in March 2021 - Terrible. Everyone was walking out as well.

I cannot believe they are still have it.

 

[jaycruising]

On 2/2/2023 at 11:05 AM, TracieABD said:

 

February 1, 2023

Belize City, Belize

 

Hi friends-

 

Another slow post… after another great night of sleep.

 

I got up and made it to yoga. This time the class was with Melissa and was much more “yoga-y”. AND there were actually four of us! For as introverted as I can be, I do like to practice yoga in a group- even on a cruise ship. However (helpful hint here), entering a closed yoga studio to ask your wife what time she will be finished- and then persist on having a conversation with said wife for about 3 minutes-bad form. Oh- the cluelessness.

 

We have been going to the International Cafe for breakfast. I am astounded at the changes- and maybe it is just on this ship- but WOW! There used to be just pastries and maybe an eggy sammich for breakfast. Not today, my little health nuts, not today! Every morning in the IC, the offerings include- avocado toast, beet toast, salmon toast, chia pudding, multiple yogurt parfaits, eggy sammich, ham and cheese sammich, egg burritos, cottage cheese with fruit, egg bites, monkey bread, cut fruit, whole fruit, and then the usual suspects in the form of pastries. I am loving this so much. It is the healthiest I have seen on any ship- any where.

 

After stuffing ourselves with healthy deliciousness at the IC, we headed up to the Sanctuary. Because Belize City is a 30 minute tender ride each way, lots of people stayed on board and the Sanctuary was packed. However, there was a Christmas miracle… every single person was quiet and respectful. We spent the day chasing shade- the sun was bright and hot! So bright. So hot. We stayed through tea and then moved down to our cabin.

 

I decided to do a load of drip dry, which initially was a study in frustration as I had to visit 8- count ‘em- EIGHT laundry rooms before I could find a working token machine. Not sure if you are getting on in the next couple of days- but Deck 10 Starboard was the only working machine I could find.

 

As for the Elite laundry perk- another WOW! Load 1 came back in less than 24 hours. Load 2 in less than 48 hours. This is a metaphor for this cruise- everything is just better than I remember. Food, service, ship condition, etc… I know this is a top down deal- and the captain seems to be really “on it”. The crew seems to be really happy.

 

We ate dinner again in the MDR. I had the chilled carrot and ginger soup and the TBGCS!!! (IYKYK)- If you don’t- It is the most delicious dish EVER! Twice-baked Goat Cheese Soufflé! Yum! For the first time I have seen, it was offered as a main and not an appetizer- but the portion size was the exact same- Personally, as a TBGCS aficionado and life-long fan- I think that if you offer it as a main, it should be twice the size! Then it could be DSTBGCS…We might need to start a movement- a protest- We could make signs and get matching t-shirts and everything!!! Double the size! Double the fun! Who’s with me here???

 

Back to our regularly scheduled blog—-

 

We attended the production show in the Princess theater. It is their guest singer Ross Hunter- who has a rather impressive “West End” pedigree. He was actually really talented- albeit a bit cheesy. The crowd loved him. Jon and I are a tad bit more jaded (sorry, it’s just facts)- and at one point we both lost it during the performance. We are like the co-worker you can never sit next to- once one of us gets the giggles- it is game on. Thank goodness for really loud amplification and masks- otherwise we would have needed to leave the theater.

 

Back to the room. Back to a few episodes of the Resident. Back to bed. Back to sleep. Another day in the can!

 

Anyone want to join my cause for DSTBGCS? Come on! It’ll be fun!

 

Thanks for following along!

More later-

Tracie-Lynn

We ate breakfast in the IC every morning on our last cruise and I LOVED the chia seed breakfast, I tried to replicate it at home without much success. 
 

And yes, I will join your movement about the soufflé!

[Astro Flyer]

On 2/3/2023 at 6:28 AM, TracieABD said:

We tried to sit through the production show “Five Skies” in the Princess Theater. Holy weirdness, Bat Folk, what the actual heck was that?!?! Something about a guy who has to negotiate through 5 levels- lots of strange EDM, talking screens, an narrating amatron, and funky costumes- but the dancing was excellent. Maybe on another day, I would have found it intriguing, however, I am sad to report that we were among the throng of confused people who were in mass exit- mid performance. Actually, I have never seen anything like it on a Princess ship. I am certain that Princess paid a ton for the production- but they may want to consider their primary audience and cut their losses on that one. JMO.

We felt the same way about it but stuck it out until the end to see if it got any better for us…nope! The sound level was much too loud making the narration & lyrics difficult to clearly hear & the storyline of being in a video game wasn’t pleasing to us. It’s the only Princess production show we’ll never repeat…JMO.

 

 

[TracieABD]

February 3, 2023

Sea Day! Last Day…

 

Hi friends-

 

It is the last day. Tomorrow they unceremoniously throw us off the ship. In all my cruises, I have never been able to shake to omnipresent LDD (last day dread). The packing. The goodbyes. The drill of disembarkation. All of it adds up to a big old case of LDD.

 

I started the day with a yoga class at 7:30 am. It was a legitimately good class from start to finish. Again, there were only four of us and the instructor in the studio… and no pesky interrupting spouses (for reference- see the blog post from Wednesday). Actually, our yoga dude locked the studio during class. No complaints here.

 

Jon texted me that he was “set up” in the IC. I found him neatly tucked into a couch with lots of gear. We needed the time to “make up” for the lost work yesterday. At 8:30 am, the internet runs pretty fast… He ordered the components for our coffee and we focused on our devices. We often like to work in the presence of one another.

 

We have managed to stay out of the buffet for the entire cruise (still gun shy after the Covid cruise-May 22)- but we missed breakfast in the MDR- so Jon masked up and went to forage for bacon in the buffet. Not me. I just held down the fort in the IC- and here comes Jon with a plate full of bacon. My hero!

 

We decided to pack in the morning and get it over with. We knew that Jon only had about 17 hours at home before flying off to work, so we arranged the luggage so that he was actually packed to for his next adventure.

 

The problem with packing up is that it feels like the cruise is over. Boo to that. We tried to cheer ourselves up by having lunch in the MDR and that seemed to help a lot!

 

We played some trivia- and were the “first loser”. It was, I swear, the longest trivia game ever… seriously- it took 54 minutes to ask and answer 20 questions. And some people really take their trivia seriously- not kidding. It’s a game people. You are playing for little rubber coasters. Lighten up!

 

Our final dinner in the MDR, with our amazing wait-duo, Bob and Tryvon, was delicious. We both had the feta and watermelon- which was more of a salad than a fruit cup. I ordered the Chana masala and Jon had the mahi mahi. Both dishes were both so yummy- and the presentation on this cruise has been outstanding. I had the Love Boat Dream for dessert. Jon had another lobster. No, just kidding. I think he had apple pie.

 

We decided to attend the final production show in the Princess Theater- Jeffry Allen- who does a pretty decent Elton John tribute. He branched out a bit more with some Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder. But the best was the “improv” with Princess orchestra. By the way- huge mentions for them- they are really really good.

 

Our final stop of the evening was back to our stateroom to set out the luggage. Honestly, if I didn’t have students the next week, I might have stayed on for another lap.

 

And that is pretty much that.

 

I will write a wrap-up soon.

 

Anyone want to sit in the Piazza and drink some tea?

 

Thanks for following along-

More later-

Tracie-Lynn

[TracieABD]

20 hours ago, Whitewings2 said:

We saw that production on the Sky in March 2021 - Terrible. Everyone was walking out as well.

I cannot believe they are still have it.

 

It was certainly weird- and not in a really good way.

[TracieABD]

11 hours ago, jaycruising said:

We ate breakfast in the IC every morning on our last cruise and I LOVED the chia seed breakfast, I tried to replicate it at home without much success. 
 

And yes, I will join your movement about the soufflé!

Yes! I am actively recruiting for my TBGCS cause! Glad to know you are on board!

[TracieABD]

11 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

We felt the same way about it but stuck it out until the end to see if it got any better for us…nope! The sound level was much too loud making the narration & lyrics difficult to clearly hear & the storyline of being in a video game wasn’t pleasing to us. It’s the only Princess production show we’ll never repeat…JMO.

 

 

They only thing I could figure out is that they must have paid a small ransom for the production rights, costumes, sets, etc… Maybe, they are not in the position to switch it out.   I can’t help but think that they could replace this show with a comedian or magician or a hula hooping contortionist or just about anything- and get a better response. 

[philv]

Really enjoyed your blog. We are on Sky in two weeks. Can’t wait! 🚢😀

[TracieABD]

Just now, philv said:

Really enjoyed your blog. We are on Sky in two weeks. Can’t wait! 🚢😀

Bon voyage! I hope you have an amazing time!

[Buckeye10640]

21 hours ago, Whitewings2 said:

We saw that production on the Sky in March 2021 - Terrible. Everyone was walking out as well.

I cannot believe they are still have it.

 

I loved 5 Skies, I found it to be a nice, more modern show and a pleasant change.  But I can see how its a love it/hate it sort of show. Same for Rock Opera. I am sailing Royal in a few months and so wish it had some new production shows

[tobyt]

I have greatly enjoyed tagging along on your trip.

Safe travels home!
 

I will be right there for tea and snacks at IC!

[TracieABD]

February 5, 2023

Charlotte, NC

 

Annnnnnddddd... That's a wrap!

 

Hi friends-

I am home and trying to stabilize our lives- and Jon is off at work.

It was a charmed cruise- Not quite as charmed as Nov. 2021 B2B2B- but really lovely. (and way better than the Triple C- Caribbean Covid Cruise- of May 2022).

 

The Great:

• The food and presentation- all around excellent- with only a few misses.
• The MDR staff- from Giuseppe to Ron to Bob/ Tryvon. Right down the line- it was truly like the TD of old. We loved the MDR so much, we never did go to specialty dining- and that is a first for us!
• Our cabin steward- Ronaldo- who was quite possibly the most efficient steward ever.
• Selections in the IC
• The colour palette and overall condition of the ship.
• The bed. Oh! The bed!

 

The Good:

• The Sanctuary staff were helpful and kind and really worked with us- but there are just not enough seats available.
• The entertainment. It was fun and it was free, but there were some misses for sure.
• The Coffee Crew at the IC. They were the most personable staff that I have seen in quite a while.

 

The Not-Terribly-Wonderful- But Not a Deal Breaker

• The Passenger Service Desk staff. I am not going to troll them, but they could definitely try a little harder to connect with passengers.

 

The Ugly

• Nothing. Nothing at all! (YES!!!)

 

That is all I have to say about that! (F. Gump).

 

I will stick around to answer question and respond to any silliness!

Thanks for following along.

Anyone want to help us plan our next big cruising adventure???

Fin-

Tracie-Lynn

 

PS. I will be walking the Camino (Portugal/Spain) in May and working at the Special Olympics World Games (Berlin) in June. I will be blogging those on my Facebook page. If you want an add- feel free to email me at tracie <@> carolina <.> rr <.> com (take out the pointy thingies).

 

[TracieABD]

13 hours ago, Buckeye10640 said:

I loved 5 Skies, I found it to be a nice, more modern show and a pleasant change.  But I can see how its a love it/hate it sort of show. Same for Rock Opera. I am sailing Royal in a few months and so wish it had some new production shows

Thank you for that! I love hearing another perspective and I am so glad the performance resonated for you. Maybe some day, I will give it another spin... based on your recommendation.