LIVE! Celebration 11/26-12/3 Holidays & Casino Ultra—Let’s Cruise!

[HolySpearit]

On 11/26/2023 at 11:39 AM, TravelBluebird said:

Here’s us walking, the drug dog, my Guys Burger, casino where we muster drilled, and my current lovely view fro Red Frog pub!

 

 

 

 

That Cats machine on the right tried to kill me a few weeks ago. Seek revenge for me! 

[TravelBluebird]

Whew—I have a lot to catch up on! 

 

I’ve been going non-stop since this morning! When I had a spare minute where I’d normally blog, i ended up talking to someone and having really good conversations. I’ve met an unusually large group of extremely nice people who LOVE to cruise, so we’ve had lots to talk about! And yes, lots of them have been on the Ultra with me—the Ultra lanyard is a nice conversation opener!

 

First for those following wanting to know about the Ultra—here were today’s Ultra festivities.

 

Between 3 and 4 we had the Ultra Prize Drawing, where you draw your 1 letter for your guaranteed prize.

You walk into the Punchliner where they held the drawing. You walk in and pick out an envelope with one of the ULTRA letters, U being the best prize down t A being the smallest.

 

I got an R, so not the smallest but not one of the bigger prizes. I was tempted on the Apple 9 watch, but I wouldn’t know if it would be the smaller size which would fit my small wrist (all gifts are shipped to you, which really makes sense for the pizza oven and laptop), so I went for the $400 Fun Play for the Casino.

 

You bring your gift receipt to the Casino cashier and they load it on your card. 

 

At 5PM there was an in-casino event called Ultra Drop, where they call your name in the casino. You have 90 seconds to show up to play; if you are not there, someone else gets called. 3 people will get to play. Our first peson was not there, so they called someone else. You roll the dice and the number you get is the number of “Plinko” chips you get to play on a plinko like contraption. Everyone who played won between $200-$300.

 

When we got back to our room, we had gifts waiting for us; Ultra Insulated Drink Tumblers. This is the ULTRA of the drink tumbler set! I think you could fit a 90 ounce soda in this thing; no idea how to get it home 😂

We also go our door decoration it is TINY and actually does NOT stay on the door (weak magnet?) so its by our room number.

 

Later tonight is the Lucky Card game—they delivered 2 playing cards to our room last night. They call cards and 15 people will get to play, and then at midnight the 12pm drawing.

 

Ok; photos for all this to follow in next post. the Ultra photos are a bit constricted since I can’t show other people gambling in the casino.

 

 

[TravelBluebird]

OK here are today’s Ultra photos!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by TravelBluebird

[TravelBluebird]

3 hours ago, momof3cruisers said:

What lovely timing. Sailing next week out of Miami but on little Conquest. However, this week, I am sick in bed. So instead of getting ready for my cruise, I’ll read about yours. 

 

@momof3cruisers get better QUICKLY so you feel great for your Conquest cruise!

 

May you end up better than we did for traffic on embarkation day. Sat next to a lovely couple, Phil and Janey, at dinner, and they drove and parked their car in a lot, but the shuttle was stuck in the awful traffic and they waited 2 hours for the shuttle! So no one was spared.

[TravelBluebird]

The word on the street has been that this is a full cruise, but I don’t believe it. Only a 15 minute wait for Formal Night dinner tonight (I was wrong; our Latin Incident Cooking Class dinner is TOMORROW night!) and not as difficult as usual to get a Center Stage seat.  I will check with Guest Services and see how many are on board.

[TravelBluebird]

2 hours ago, HolySpearit said:

That Cats machine on the right tried to kill me a few weeks ago. Seek revenge for me! 

 

@HolySpearit The way my luck has been, it might be a double attempted murder if I try to play it, but I’ll do my best!

[pinto18]

That Ultra Tumbler looks huge !

[TravelBluebird]

Today’s food and drink!

 

Our SeaDay brunch, after our long wait, was just OK. 

 

My husband’s made-to-order omelet was hot and good and well enjoyed. Cofee was hot and plentiful.

 

However, my Huevos Rancheros was not hot. So I sent it back. Second one same luekwarm temperature. I spoke with the server, and I believe the problem is definitely something in the kitchen, since everything else has been served piping hot so far!  I just won’t order this again for SeaDay brunch. 

 

We had two fantastic Nojitos after our Salsa Dancing Class. Tons of mint; very refreshing, great flavors. Carnival MUCH better on non-alcoholic drinks than Royal Caribbean in my opinion; all their non-alcoholic drinks were way too sweet. 

 

Tonight was our first new MDR menu Formal night!  Overall it was very good.  Our service was excellent and the food piping hot.

 

The Tuna Crudo, an Emeril selected dish, was a nice change for an appetizer; it had a good tang thanks to the jalepenos, which I like. I also had the Shrimp Cocktail—shrimp were undercooked for me.

 

Instead of just Filet Mignon the new Formal night selection is Filet Mignon with Short Rib (plus mashed potatoes and green beans).  Excellent Filet Mignon!  got it cooked medium rare and my hubby’s rare as aske for. The Short Rib was wasted on me as I don’t like then, but hubby was happy to have mine.  Very good hot mashed potatoes AND a generous and tasty heap of green beans—gone are the days of 3 beans on the plate!

 

For desert I had the Grand Marnier Souffle. This is always a big YUM from me, and tonight’s did not disappoint! Hubby had the sugar-free Chocolate Pana Cotta; like a rich chocolate pudding plus.

 

However, my poor dining companions Phil And Janey were served the worse looking Chocolate Melting Cake I have ever seen!  It was in some weird looking flat plate instead of the usual deep ramekin, and it was cooked like a brownie—no soft center!  They sent them back and got the usual ramekin ones.

 

I’ll probably have late night pizza after gambling—I just LOVE Carnival pizza and Miami Slice last night was no exception!  

 

Photos of food to follow in next post!

[TravelBluebird]

And I forgot the bread was a hot raisin bread! Very good.The last photo is of my neighbor’s weird Chocolate Melting Cake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by TravelBluebird

[TravelBluebird]

And the MDR Formal Night menu tonight:

 

 

[TravelBluebird]

17 minutes ago, pinto18 said:

That Ultra Tumbler looks huge !

 

My husband thinks its like 13” tall!

 

Handy to hide your free gambling cocktail in there then ask for a second right after to fill it up!

[TravelBluebird]

Just got back from my evening in the casino.

 

Did not win BUT did not lose a whole lot; one of my fav machines, the wheel of fortune, had a seat and I spun the wheel like 5 times.  I lost $150 of the $400 of my Free Play, but played a decent amount of time. Had my first drink of the cruise, a Chocolate Martini, which was free in the casino, plus a water. The Chocolate Martini was VERY good.

 

I’m sitting on my balcony in the dark listening to the ocean and eating my Margarita Pizza from Miami Slice (too old to have pepperoni before bedime now, evidently 😂). Last night the pizza was perfect; today a bit undercooked, I think because the pizza line was longer. Wish they would not do that!

 

My card was not called at the event tonight, but my friend’s was—she won $50 (the smallest prize).  Prizes (15) included cash up to $100, Free dinner for 2 at any restaurant, $200 in the spa, and a free excursion.

 

Tomorrow morning is Cozumel. I’m a beach person and would have happily gone to Paradise Beach or similar, hubby not a beach person, so we’re doing a compromise head into down and then go to a beach excursion. I’m a good wife.  

 

10am excursion start; very civilized for a gambler!

 

 

 

 

[TravelBluebird]

I am currently making the BEST of a bad situation.

 

Been POURING rain almost non stop since we left ship at 9:30

 

We ditched the shopping and beach excursion.  Got tired of waiting for rain to end at port, so I’m happily on a swing looking at all the ships in port with a limonata!

 

Russ back on ship getting a Big Chicken

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by TravelBluebird

[TravelBluebird]

Ships in port are Celebration, Breeze, Independence of the Seas, and Mariner of the Seas

[TravelBluebird]

This is my FOURTH straight port stop with bad weather.  All 3 on Wonder of the Seas last month and now this.

 

Sailing with me maybe not a great idea if you like sun? 😂

[TravelBluebird]

The sun is peaking out!  Back on ship—Good thing I was basically dressed in my bathing suit top and throw!  Because it was soaking wet like I’d been in the pool. 
 

Lady in candy booth gave me a plastic bag for my phone.

 

 

I am dry!  Had a Deli Cuban then some coconut gelato.  Street Eats just opened—2pm!

[TravelBluebird]

Here’s a little YouTube short I did about the rain and hanging out in the port bar! I’m hoping to get a longer video up tomorrow on our port day: 

 

 

 

 

 

[TravelBluebird]

For the afternoon, I did some “content creation” and got photos of the pool and eatery on Lido deck. Then spent most of the rest of the afternoon and sail away relaxing on my balcony. The sun FINALLY came out late afternoon.

 

Most of the people who SHOULD have been pier runners ambled back to the ship quite slowly.  There were just 2 runners I could see, and of course I didn’t have my camera at the time. However the Carnival Breeze had some GREAT pier runners that we couldn’t see—the entire side of the ship NOT facing us yelled out RUN RUN in unison at least twice, and lots of cheers and hoots and hollers. Sounds like they had a great time!

 

More to follow incuding photos

 

 

[TravelBluebird]

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by TravelBluebird

[TravelBluebird]

We are currently waiting for Ringmaster Rhapsodies to start at Main Stage!

 

Our El Fuego Latin Dinner Cooking was tonight!  Fantastic experience-/very small Group only 7 participants with the chef and 2 assistants

 

Band on stage!  More after show!

[TravelBluebird]

Some  images of the Latin cooking class. //dinner.  After you cook all the dishes and taste them, you sit down for a dinner with the same dishes, plus flan for dessert, that is prepared for you.  We cooked empanadas, arris con pollo. Cerviche, Empanadas, tortilla soup and a beef dish that I loved but is not on the recipe list we were emailed.

 

The dishes we prepared with the Chefs help were BETTER than the kitchen prepared ones and I wish I ate more of them!

 

Lots of fun and well thought out class.  Overall yummy dinner and great to have such a small personalized dinner experience that was not Chef’s table.

 

Wines. sparkling waters. Sodas were included and we got nifty red Carnival Kitchen spatulas as favors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by TravelBluebird

[TravelBluebird]

Had less than 5 minutes after dinner to get to casino for Matilda The Cash Cow.  You roll a dice and the number is the number of spots you get to pick off the cow,  each a cash prize.  I saw my name go by on the spinner but was not picked.  5 people played,  $500 was the biggest winner. 
 

Here’s our Casino zHost with Matilda!

 

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by TravelBluebird

[TravelBluebird]

Ringmaster Rhapsodies is a GREAT show if you love Pippen and The Greatest Showman, and love live music.  I do so it was fun to see it again!  If you are looking for a big cast and dancing and costume changes, that is NOT this show. And just the 2 Center Stage singers.

 

PLUS I got several Over 90 decibel warnings on my Apple Watch.  This happened on Royal last month—WHY are all sound engineers deaf?

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by TravelBluebird

[TravelBluebird]

Tonight’s MDR menu—even though we did the Cooking Class instead, so everyone can see the new menus!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by TravelBluebird

[TravelBluebird]

Had a bit of better luck in Casino tonight—nothing WILD like a great jackpot but played awhile and didn’t lose more money!  Here is one little jackpot I won from a free spins with wilds  bonus