Azamara Quest Mediterranean Cruise

Our flight on July 25, 2014 , left right on time.  We quickly went through security at JFK and into the Concierge lounge as we had upgraded our airline tickets to business class.  Business class has lie flat seats and the minute you are seated, the flight attendant comes over and serves a glass of champagne.  Each seat has their own tablet with an assortment of Movies, TV shows, audio and internet.

You are given your own pillow and comforter as well as an overnight pouch which includes socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, ear plugs, eye mask, hand cream and lotions, and hand sanitizers.  Meals were served on glass plates, with drinks of your choice, as well as an ice cream sundaes for dessert.  When you are taking an overnight transatlantic flight, this is the only way to travel.

We arrived in Barcelona and had no wait to go through customs.  Our bags were one of the first off the plane, and our driver was at the baggage area waiting for us.  We arrived at the hotel at about 8:45am local time and I figured that we would have to wait until 3pm for check in.  Amazingly, our room was ready for us.  We checked in and took a nice long nap for about 3 hours. The Avenida Palace hotel is at the beginning of La Ramblas (the pedestrian street).  It is in a nice section and relatively quiet compared to staying right on La Ramblas.  The room was spacious and had a king size bed as well as a big bathroom with his and her sinks, toilet and bidet.  I thought I would check out the bidet but couldn't figure out how I was supposed to sit and I turned the water on and got myself soaked.  So much for learning something new.

La Ramblas

We walked along the Ramblas and had a pizza in a local bistro and started running out of steam.  Time to head back to the hotel to take another nap.  The 6 hours time difference and overnight flight is really confusing to the system.

Sidewalk Café in Barcelona

For dinner we walked a couple of blocks to an outdoor restaurant and had a bottle of wine at a perfect place to people  watch.  It was a beautiful evening and so far all aspects of our trip has been perfect.

The Avenida Palace staff have been very friendly, the rooms are clean and we had a buffet breakfast included in our hotel price.  The hotel used to be a theatre and years ago the Beatles stayed here.

Day 1, Time to board the Azamara Quest.  Our car service was waiting for us right on time and it was only a 15 minute ride to the pier.

 

Azamara Quest

Some of the initial  differences I have noticed on a luxury cruise ship compared to a premium cruise ship are as soon as you board the ship, you are given a glass of champagne.  The buffet lunch is served to you.  You do not help yourself and the tables have linen table clothes and linen napkins.  In the ladies bathroom, when you wash your hands, instead of paper towels there are clothe towels.  Lunch had a wide assortment of hot and cold food, meats and cheeses as well as salads.  For dessert there is a dessert station with an assortment of pastries and homemade gelato. After lunch, we are now waiting for our room to be ready.  I am sitting on a lounge chair where the towel is folded on the chair and the lounge chair has a comfortable pillow cushion. I am ready to fall asleep on it.  Ready to take another nap.

Our cabin steward, Girlie is efficient. Plenty of pillows on the bed, bathrobes in the closet and chilled champagne ready for our bon voyage.  Dinner in the main dining room is delicious and the wine is plentiful. Once again the staff has been more than attentive.   The staff is 2 to 1 so there is always someone around to serve your every need.  Although this is considered a small ship, there are still 700 people on board as well as 400 crew.  However, the ship never feels crowded and there is never a line.  The staff members are friendly as well as the people on board.  They are a well traveled group of people.

Roses, Spain

Day 2.  We arrived in Roses, Spain a quaint little town.   
We ordered room service for breakfast and sat on our veranda watching the tender service.  On other ships, the tenders were crowded and there is a wait.  On this ship, you decide what time to go ashore, and just go down to the tender at the time you want.  No lines, no fuss no muss.    We walked along the water front.  One side is beaches, the other side are shops.  Plenty of sidewalk cafes.  We stopped and had a cappuccino and used the free wi-fi to stay connected.  Back on board for a much need massage.   Tonight there was a get together in the looking glass lounge.  Just as the name says, the lounge has floor to ceiling windows and as we were sitting there having a cocktail, a school of dolphins went past.   It was truly breathtaking.


Day 3. Today we arrived in Marseille, France.  We are docked right across from the Largest Cathedral in France and the 6th largest cathedral in the world.  The cathedral floor was made from mosaic tile and there was beautiful stained glass.  We took a city tour and saw the island that is written about in the book, the count of Monte Cristo.  The port of Marseille is a bustling port with lots of little sidewalk bistro's situated around the fishing harbor.  We didn't have to much time here today but luckily on Azamara Club cruises, you get to overnight in this port so we will have another full day to wander around. 

  

Largest Cathedral in France, 6th Largest in the World

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Tonight we went to Azamazing evenings.  We were taken to an 18th century private estate, at Chateau Dalpheran, where local folklore dances were done, while sipping champagne.  We were priviledged to have a private show by Ms. Dominique Mezin, an international renowned soprano singer, performing pieces from Puccini, Vedi and Bellini.  After the completion of her songs as we walked to the bus, they had fire blowers.

Fire Breather

Dominique Mezin

When we arrived back to the ship there was the staff, including the captain, pouring glasses of hot chocholate with a splash of creme de Menthe.  All and all a memorable day. 

So far my impression is the Azamara is a first class operation.  The staff could not be more friendly and helpful,  Since local wines are included for lunch and dinner, the wine is always flowing.  'We have been having room service delivered for breakfast and even that has been wonderful with the wide variety of choices.  I thought I would be bored with a smaller ship but truthfully I am meeting well traveled and well educated people. 

Mistral (High winds)

Day 4.  Today we were supposed to sail to

to Sanury Del Mer and arrive by noon.  The captain made a decision not to go as there is a Mistral that is passing through.  A mistral is a front with high winds.  Since the next port would have been tendered, the captain did not want to risk anyone falling down.  We stayed in Marseille which gave us another opportunity to walk to the old port which is a beautiful fishing village.  There are little restaurants and shops around the harbor.  We were in a group of 8 and we sat at one of the sidewalk cafes.  Some ordered the bouillubase (fish soup) and I ordered Gambas Flambe which is shrimp.  The shrimp was delicious accept for the fact the heads were still attached.  The plate came with homemade French Fries.  Although the weather at the port was windy, the harbour was protected and the weather was sunny and warm.

Paella

Day 5.  Today we arrived in Bastia,  Corsico, a beautiful little seaside village.

 

Corsica, France

 

Our ship is docked right in the middle of town and we were able to catch a bus for 7 euros which took us all over the island on a little tour.  We stopped in a beautiful old Church built in the 1800's.  Inside the church is a huge staircase going up to an alter area. 

I asked our guide what the meaning of the stairs are and she told me that the staircase is a replica of the staircase in Jerusalem in which Jesus Christ had walked.

After the tour we wandered the cobblestone streets and ended up in a seaside cafe with a view of the harbor.  I ordered a calzone but it was different than the ones that you would get in the U.S. and it had ham and cheese but it also had something that looked like a runny egg.  However, I thought it was delicious.  I remember the last time I was in Europe that when we order something that we think are getting we often end up with something completely different but delectable just the same.  Every little bistro has intenet connection and they let you sit there as long as you would like having a drink or something to eat.  There is never any hurry.

Day 6.  Today we are in Portofino, Italy which is a quaint little village with a beautiful harbor and little shops.  We took the bus to Santa Margherita which is supposed to be a larger town.  The shore excursion guide told us there is one road in and one road out.  It was only a 15 minute bus ride on the edge of a mountain.  The whole way there, the bus driver was honking to let the car around the corner know he was coming as there was not enough room for two cars to pass.  If the bus came, the cars would have to back up.  It was truly breathtaking scenery.  We wandered around Santa Margherita and I dipped my toes into the Mediterranean sea. 

 

 

The water was warm.  The beaches are very different from the sandy ones that we are used to.  The beaches are made of stones so when you walked into the water you walked in on stones.  A little hard on the feet.  We then went to a little sidewalk cafe where we ordered Santa Margherita Pizza in the town it originated from. That and a glass of wine, free wi-fi made it a perfect day.  Yes, it was perfect until we took the bus back to portofino.  As she said there is one road in and one road out.  However, we got on the bus that continued on the road up the mountain in the wrong direction. After about 10 to 15 minutes we realized that we were on the wrong bus and got off.  Luckily we only had to wait about 15 minutes and we took the bus back to Santa Margherita and then had to transfer to Portofino.   It is always something.  Back on board the ship, we had dinner in the Discovery restaurant and every night the service and the food has been fantastic.  It is the best food I have had on board a ship in over 75 cruises as well as the best service.   The captain of the ship has made himself very visable and greets people during dinner and at the shows.  He is very accessible.  Tonight is "white Night" and everyone has dressed in a white outfit.

White Night on Azamara Quest

There is entertainment and food all around the pool area under a Mediterranean balmy breeze  The night was perfect for sailaway which wasn't until 10pm.  It is so nice staying in a port later than 5 or 6pm.

Day 7. Today we are in Monte Carlo.  We booked a private excursion and it was just us and another couple.  First we went to Fragonard which is the perfume factory.  We had been to this factory 22 years before on our honeymoon and they still are producing the perfume I bought all those years ago.  After the perfume factory we drove to the medieval town of EZE which is a town built up in the hills of France and you can only get there by foot.  There are lots of little stores built right into the stone on the side of the mountain. 




Casino in Monte Carlo

 

 





Yachts in Monte Carol



 



In front of the Palace in Monaco

 



From Eze we drove back to Monte Carlo for the changing of the guards at the Palace in Monte Carlo. Prince Albert was in residence as the flag was hanging high when he is in.  We also went to visit the chapel where Princess Grace is buried beside her husband.  From there we visited the Grand Casino and took pictures in the same location we had taken 22 years before.  We took a rook ride to Cannes where they have the film festival every year and took pictures where the stars walk on the red carpet.  The scenery again was breathtaking and the beaches were crowded with summer vacationers and weekenders.  We visited the town of St Paul which was another medieval town that is known for its artists and writers before we headed back to our ship. 

The flight home was not so great.  We missed our connection in Heathrow Airport, ran through the airport like maniacs, had to rebook our flight, chase down our baggage and get to the new gate which was miles away. 

The trip was fantastic but the return flight...... Not so good.



In front of the Casino in Monte Carlo.  Same pose as 22  years before on our honeymoon

 

 



All Inclusive Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica

For those of you that know me, I love cruising.   This year is my sister's and my friend's big birthday and their pick was the Iberostar Grand Rose Hall all inclusive resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
When we first arrived to the hotel, the staff greeted us with a cool damp washcloth and a Champagne Mimosa.   The grounds of this hotel is magnificent and shaped in a horse shoe around the pool and the beach.

The location of our room was in the far right building.  This was a prime spot for going to the beach or the pool.  The pool nearest our building had the swim-up bar.  This alone was reason never to get out of the pool.   Our rooms were incredible spacious.  We are so used to going on a cruise ship that you sometimes forget how spacious a hotel can be.  The bathroom had a separate toilet area, whirlpool bath and separate shower area.  It also had a his and hers sink and mirror at each end of the bathroom.  Plenty of closet space followed by the bedroom with a bed that was larger than a king size bed.  After the bedroom was the living room/desk area followed by sliding doors that had a balcony with a couch and double swing.

My impression of all inclusives were that you would receive mediocre food and watered down drinks.  This couldn't have been further from the truth.  Our refrigerator was stocked with whatever we requested.  Soda, water, vodka, scotch, beer.  Whatever you wanted and whatever brand you wanted.

For breakfast they had a buffet and I am thinking,I would rather be served but this buffet had an egg station, pancakes, crepes, waffle station, all different meats and cheeses as well as cavier and smoked salmon, bananas wrapped in bacon.   The staff still served the coffee and juice and it was white glove service.   If you didn't want to go to the buffet you can have room service bring you your breakfast.  Room service was no additional charge.

At lunch they also had a beautiful buffet with lobster and shrimp as well as hamburgers and hot dogs.  There was a whole beautiful spread with fruits and cakes, cheeses and meats.    In addition to this, they would have a bar-b-que on the beach with linen table clothes and bar service.  All you had to do was show up.

There are 4 specialty restaurants and each one was better than the next.  The service was incredible.
Now the best part.  There is butler service included with each room.  After dinner and the nightly entertainment, I would get back to the room and my bathtub would be filled with bubbles and covered with rose petals.  They would wheel in silver platters of cakes and pasties and champagne.  To say I felt pampered is an understatement.

The staff could not have been friendlier and each one made us feel special.

If you want to just lie around and sun bath you could, but for people that want more, there was water aerobics, volley ball, kayaking, snorkeling, line dancing, horseshoes just to mention a few.

Here are some of my pictures from the vacation.

A dog Owners Journey

I usually write about travel because that it what I do.  I sell travel and specifically cruises.  But today I want to talk about the journey I am taking with my little dog Kelly.  I got Kelly almost 14 years ago after a tragic incident.  Her birthday is on December 26th.   14 years ago in March I had another little yorkie named Maggie.  I had Maggie for  5 1/2 months and took her by airplane from Florida to New York.  She fit in the little carrier right under my seat.  Upon arriving at the airport, being the good pet owner that I am, I told my husband to wait for our luggage and I would walk Maggie outside.  I had one of those fancy rhinestone collars on her and we walked outside.  Maggie was scared from the traffic and airport noise.  I had a good hold on her leash when I walked her, but she bolted.  The collar broke open and she went running.  There was a yellow taxi coming and I went to run after her.  I saw the taxi run over but I thought she was so little maybe it passed over her.  I had to stop or it would have hit me.  When I got to her she was crushed.  I started to scream and my husband ran out.  We took our little dog home and buried her.  The grief was unimaginable.   We cried and cried. We loved that little dog so much.   Finally after a few days, I called the pet shop Parrots of the World in Rockville Centre, NY where my husband had bought Maggie and told the owner Mark what had happened.  Mark said "call me tomorrow".  The next day I called, and Mark said, I have another little female Yorkie that I just got in.  Come and look at her.    I ran over there and it was love at first site.  I wanted her but had to ok it with my husband.  I called him at work and told him that Mark had another little yorkie.  He asked "Is she Cute?".  How can a little 1 1/2pound puppy not be cute.   I finally felt my grief lifting although I know one dog cannot take the place of the one we lost.  We have it in our hearts to love them both. We brought her home and named her Kelly because we got her on St. Patrick's day.  Kelly was so sweet and a typical puppy, jumping around like a little maniac.  I remembered thinking, when is this dog going to calm down.

It's 14 years letter and Kelly is an old girl now.  She keeps getting cysts and when she had one irritating her eye, I brought her to the vet to have it removed.  They did the pre admission testing to make sure she was ok for the surgery.  That's when I got the devastating news.  Kelly's liver enzymes are elevated and they need to do a liver scan.  I gave the ok and we received more bad news.  Kelly has a mass on her liver and they need to do a biopsy.  I gave the ok and we received her diagnosis.  Kelly has liver cancer. 

This was the most devasting news.  She didn't have any signs other than she is getting older and slowing down.  She had the cysts but that is really common in Yorkie's.   The vet, who I have trusted for all of Kelly's life told me that I should operate.  The tumor is two inches big.  I felt that if I operate, she could die on the table. She is almost 14 years old!  I can't take that chance.   The prognosis is that if you do nothing, she may have a couple of months to a year to live.  What is the average life expectancy of a dog?  14 years?  15 years?  16 years?  she is almost there.

I took Kelly to a Oncologist vet.  There aren't many of them around.  She agreed with me. (Thank God) that it was risky to operate on a dog this age.  She told me that there is a new medicine out called Palladia.  Palladia is supposed to stop the progression of tumors.  The cancer had not spread and if they can top the growth, this would work.  I agreed to the treatment. 

Palladia has to be given with gloves as it is radioactive.  How can I give a radioactive pill to my little girl?    The medicine has to be given 3 times a week with an antacid as it could upset her stomach. 

April of 2012, I started giving Kelly the Palladia.  To be on this medication, blood has to be drawn once a month as the Palladia can damage the other organs.  Every 3 months, she needs a cat scan to see if the medication is working.   The Vet bills every month is $375.  This is for the blood work, the Vet's office visit and 1 months's worth of medication.  The month that she has the scans, it is over $700.00.  I have spent over $6,000 for the diagnosis, blood work scans and medications.  My friends and family think I am crazy to spend this amount.  When do you know the right time to put a dog down? 
Kelly seems ok during the days but at night she starts to pant and she is thirsty.  The vet doesn't think the thirst has anything to do with medication.  She may also have cushing disease which is a type of thyroid problem.  We are now in November 2012 and Kelly's hair has gotten thin, and she seems frail.  We have a vet appointment tomorrow.    Whatever the outcome, I am glad that I didn't do the surgery.  I have had almost 9 months with her that I may not have had.

It is now February 2013, and I have watched Kelly go down hill.  I have increased her pain meds, given her Melatonin to keep her calm as well as some other supplement.  She is taking a lot of medication.  She has increased thirst and has had frequent accidents in the house because she can't control her little bladder.
During the day, she seems like she is resting comfortably but in the evening she starts to pant heavily.  I don't know if it is the cancer or the cushing's disease.  I turn up the air, give her a pain killer and wet her down. 
The past two days she is not eating her food.  She will eat her cookies if I hand feed them to her but not out of her bowl.  I know her time is limited and I am ready to put her down, but my husband wants no part of that.  He is hoping that she will go peacefully in her sleep, but I don't think that is the case.  The liver cancer that she has will only cause her to have more pain and possbibly bleed out.  It is getting so that I am afraid to leave the house and my heart is breaking for my little girl.  I love her enough to let her go.  She is depending on me to make this decision.

It's February 26, 2013.  Kelly has now stopped eating her food.  She won't even eat a cookie and just about took a little piece of turkey.   She is sitting up and panting all the time and I guess this is the only way for her to be comfortable.  I went to the vet to see if I could give her anything stronger.  My husband is not ready to let her go.  The vet gave me another pain killer to give in addition to the others and advised us to come in this afternoon with Kelly for her to evaluate her.  We got there at 5:30 and our vet of now 14 years, said to us we need to let her go.    My husband left the room  and just could not bare to see her go but I held my little girl in my arms while the gave her some sedation to keep her calm.  They administered  her a sleeping medication propofol and she went to sleep.  The vet then administered the last medication to stop her heart.  I pet her until it was over and my heart is broken but I didn't have any choice.    I often wonder if I hadn't given her all the chemo medication would she have lived this long and I will never know.  I had my little angel for another year and she will truly be missed.  RIP Kelly 12/26/1999 - 02/26/2013.  I am missing you every day,

 

Goddess, Diva & Princess Cruise

The countdown begins on our 3rd annual Goddess, Diva's and Princess Cruise.  This year's pick is the Carnival Glory, 4 night Canada Cruise on July 21, 2011.  There are 25 of us going and I am sure that we will have a fabulous time as we have every other year.
More to com.

Celebrity Equinox

Celebrity Equinox 4/1/11 to 4/11/11 

When first boarding this beautiful ship you are greeted with a glass of champagne or a Mimosa. Having been on over 50 cruises I can tell you that there is a certain feel that comes over you when you first get on board.   

Library

Some ships have a gaudy feel and a Disneyland energy. I am not saying that that is bad, it’s just different.  On this ship the feeling is serenity. The decor is elegant teak wood with shades of blue furnishings. There is a calmness on the ship. 

We decided to book the "Aqua Class" balcony stateroom. It is similar to the

other balcony staterooms however, Aqua Class gets a pillow menu, flavored ice

tea delivered every day, hors d'oeuvres delivered every afternoon, fresh flowers

every day, unlimited use of the Persian Gardens and the number one item is the use

of the Blu Restaurant.  For everyone else on the ship there is a charge to eat

there subject to availability. For Aqua Class passengers, we were able to eat in this restaurant

every night.  The food is delectable. It is not prepared with heavy cream or

lots of butter but is prepared with olive oil and is a lighter flare.  It still managed to gain weight! 

One night we ate the most delicious fillet mignon and rack of lamb.  We are

traveling as a foursome and every night the waiter brought us another entree for

the table just so we can taste it.  We are truly being catered to. 

We have been ordering our breakfast to be delivered to our stateroom so that we

can sit and eat on the balcony. They have delivered it on time and the selection

is abundant. Every morning they call to make sure that we enjoyed it. First time that has ever happened.  Fresh squeezed juice, coffee, toast, eggs, sausage, ham, bacon, pastries, vegetables, waffles, omelettes. There is so much on the menu and they always bring it on time. 

Our cabin steward, Alvin, has been a pleasure and brings us ice 3 times a day, and

our room has been kept clean and beautiful.

Yesterday we pulled into St Thomas and the shuttles to go to downtown, to Magen's

Bay or anywhere else on the island were lined up waiting. It is a $4.00 ride to

get downtown and the shuttle pulls up next to the outdoor flea market. It is in

this location that you can buy tee shirts, cover ups, knock off designer bags,

hats and silver. Definitely negotiate pricing in this area.  Once you leave the

flea market you can walk down the main street. If you are not interested in jewelry

you may as well not go. Every store is a jewelry store with the exception of a

couple of electronic stores and perfume stores.

I did purchase a new camera from a store called Boolchand's and not that I

thought the prices were fantastic but it is duty free and you don't pay sales tax. 

One night we decided to eat in the Tuscan Grill steak house and I have to say

that every single thing that we ate was better than the next item. Service was

excellent and I would say that it is well worth the extra charge of $35.00 per person.

 Since I am not a big beach person, in St Kitts and Barbados, we got off the ship and hired a local driver to give us a 2 1/2 hour island tour. The cost was $20 per person and it was a nice way to see the island and take some pictures. 

We have been in Dominica before and although the Island is very beautiful; my favorite thing to do is the Whale and Dolphin excursion.  The water close to the ship was very calm and we had lots of opportunity to see dolphins.  The whales are in deeper water and we had to travel 8 to 10 miles.  The water was very choppy and we did get to see whales, but the people who get sick easily were having a rough time.  I happened to love it and did not have a problem.  I was too busy looking at whales. 

I have been in St. Martin many times and have seen all the local attractions. My favorite thing to do is shop on Front Street. There are tons of jewelry stores but with the price of gold being so high, the store owners are adding other items to their stores like handbags, shoes and souvenirs. It's a nice change to see something other than jewelry. However, it didn't stop me from buying some jewelry from my dear friend Jay, at JbestJewelers on front street, who never fails to make me feel at home. 

Today was a sea day and I decided to relax at the beautiful adults only

solarium pool which has a glass dome enclosure. You can sit and relax in this

area rain or shine with cushioned lounge chairs. We had the most amazing weather and sunsets every day and the time flew by. 

 

 

In closing, Celebrity had the most efficient disembarkation.  We were able to stay in our stateroom until our assigned time.  They we went to our assigned lounge and waited about 15 minutes.  It was a very easy process and there were no people clogging the hallways because they have to be out of their rooms.  

Kudos to Celebrity.  I cannot wait to go again.

Celebrity Equinox

The countdown begins. I am so looking forward to sailing on the Celebrity Equinox.  The ship is doing a 10 night deep Caribbean  Cruise itinerrary.  Having been to the Caribbean many times, I look forward to relaxing on a beautiful ship with the usual excellent Celebrity service.

Allure of the Seas Inaugural Sailing and Maiden Voyage

Allure of the Seas Inaugural Sailing

I originally booked the inaugural sailing on the Allure of the Seas while I was on board the Freedom of the Seas last year. Once I got home, I received a call from Royal Caribbean that they had added a 4 night pre-inaugural sailing and would we like to change to that sailing. We decided to do both, turning it into an 11 night sailing.

As it got closer to the sail date, I was lucky enough to get invited to a 2 night sailing pre pre inaugural sailing now turning my cruise into 13 nights.

As with the Oasis of the Seas, the boarding process is a breeze. It took all over 10 minutes to go through security, check in, get the room key, take your embarkation picture and get on the ship. You do not want to miss the embarkation picture, as this ship has facial recognition and you can get your photo snapped anywhere on the ship and it will end up in your own photo album easily located for you to view or purchase.

We were handed a welcome glass of champagne as soon as we boarded and were in awe of the beauty and design of the ship. At each elevator around the ship, there is a flat panel touch screen which has a room finder, things to do around the ship, restaurant guide, etc. If you type in your cabin number, it will give you directions with a map giving you the shortest route back to the cabin.

There are many dining venues around the ship all with beautiful preparation and display. The staff has been extremely friendly and helpful in getting us acclimated to the ship.

We went to the ice show called “How to train your dragon” and you are up close and personal with the skaters. My recommendation is always get to any of the shows about ½ hour prior to the start of the show to get your choice of seats. You are allowed to prebook your shows on line. 10 minutes before the start of the show, they open the seating up to the general public to let anyone that didn’t make a reservation come in. You are only allowed to prebook the show once to give everyone a chance to see all the shows.

Food in the dining room has been excellent. The chicken in the chicken Marsala was as moist as it could be and the fillet of beef was like butter.

One afternoon we decided to eat a “Johnny Rockets” and there is a $4.95 cover charge which was well worth it. It is a typical old fashion diner with mouth watering burgers and the best onion rings I have ever tasted. When you first walk into the diner you are greeted with a shout out from all the waiters. While you are eating, the waiters breakout in a song production. Do not miss this.

Tonight we decided to eat at one of the specialty restaurants called 150 Central Park. There is a surcharge of $35.00 per person. I did not realize that it was a fixed menu and there are no choices to be made. However it is a 6 course meal and it is displayed magnificently. I opted to have one of the specialty martinis which I saw Kathy Lee and Hoda have on their show. This is the only restaurant on board the ship that has this particular martini. It has basil, sour mix, cucumber and grey goose vodka. The drink was delicious but I should have asked the price as it was $15.00. Most martinis’s cost around $7 to 8.

The bread is served with sweet butter and 6 different types of saIt and I ended up eating too much bread. One of the salts taste like bar-b-que, one tasted like eggs, one tasted like sage. It was the first time I ever ate flavored salt and each course was delectable and the blend of flavoring was beyond belief. The courses were unusual with a sweet potato veloute soup, duck egg roll, sea bass and short ribs of beef with filet of beef and Swiss chard. The last course was a chocolate raspberry mouse, served with a caramel ice cream. I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and the food however; my husband and our friends were not thrilled. Although they appreciated the tastes and the preparation, they thought it was over priced and they would have preferred to make their own choices. The bill for 4 people and 2 rounds of drinks was over $200.00. You really don’t expect to get a bill that high on a cruise ship. I am glad that I went but I don’t know that I would go back.

During the week there is a parade called “Move it”. The show is through the Royal Promenade. We did not get here early and although we were standing, we didn’t have the best view in the house. However, since we are on this ship for 3 different sailings back to back, the 2nd time they did the show, I went about 1 hr 15 minutes early, got myself a table by Sorrento’s Pizzeria, brought my book, had some coffee and had an up front and person view. The “street got crowded” but I had prime viewing. During the hour it is a fantastic time to people watch and this is the only time it felt crowded on the ship, as 5000 people want to see the parade. Dreamworks does it right and there were all the dreamworks characters including Shrek and Fiona. Fiona is the Godmother of this ship. You cannot even believe you are aboard a ship with the production of this parade. People young and old love this parade and were cheering. At the end there is confetti flying.

One night we ate at Chops Grill specialty restaurant and athough my fillet mignon was delicious and tender my friends had a veal chop that was full of fat. They had many waiters however our drinks were slow in getting to us and the waiter didn’t bring back the right drinks. They never put bread on the table and although we prepaid the meal($25.00 per person) we had to pay for our drinks. When we received the bill we were charged an extra $12.00. We had been drinking the same round of drinks every night and after 10 days of being on the ship, we knew what it should cost. I told the waiter the price was wrong and he insisted that it was correct. I was more upset at principal then at the price and I took it up with Customer relations who took the $12.00 off the charge. When we ordered 2 vodka martinis the waiter rang it up as two martinis and 2 shots of vodka. Chalk it up to getting the kinks worked out on the maiden voyage.

The day that we were in Labadee,Haiti (Royal Caribbean’s private island) we walked around and rented a float for $12 for the day and just bobbed around the water. Royal Caribbean puts on a bar-b-que for their passengers and not only did they have the standard franks and hamburgers, but they had lobster tails for 5,000 people. This was a real treat. On this Island you can ride a roller coaster or go zip lining ($90) and take a tram around the island. There is a little flea market area and the locals sell their crafts. Royal Caribbean is still brining in supplies to Haiti and takes up a collection on the ship to help the local economy.

Due to the fact that we were on the inaugural sailing and maiden voyage, ever night we got back to our room when got a present. One night we got inaugural sailing towels, one night tote bags, one night baseball caps, one night a cookbook, just to name a few. We loved going back to our room at night to see what treat was on our bed. Speaking of bedding, the European bedding was so lush and luxurious; I never wanted to get out of bed. I loved getting into the bed at night. The mattress was like sleeping on clouds.

The location of our cabin was near the rear elevator. This turned out to be a great location as the boardwalk and dining room is towards the rear of the ship as well as the sports deck. We were easily able to get to Central Park and the Royal Promenade so I definitely think cabins located near the rear elevator are much better than being midship. The spa, gym and adults only pool are located at the front. Although I did go to the gym and the spa I went to the dining room to eat a lot more.

One of the very cool things to do on this ship is send a video postcard. They have a recording studio where you can go in and record yourself and send it to about 6 people. There is no charge and I recommend that you send yourself a copy and this way you can forward it to whoever you want to. I must have gone in there about 7 times.

I was too chicken to go zip lining but thoroughly enjoyed watching other people do it. There was a 90 year old man who did it and I almost got the courage after seeing him do it, but I can’t take the initial 1st step off with a drop of 10 floors.

By the boardwalk area there is a full size carousel and a couple of times during the week they do a family festival for the kids, with clowns, balloons, face painting and all kinds of activities for the kids.

Our friends who traveled with us have been on over 25 Princess cruises and the last time why had gone on Royal Caribbean was 13 years ago on the Nordic Empress. I finally got them to go on this ship and they were truly in awe of this ship. It is like nothing you have ever seen aboard a cruise ship.

Every night in Central Park they had a musician playing and you can actually stroll through the park and sit on a bench with birds chirping. They just thought of everything.

Several times during the week they had 3 D movies along with the usually things aboard a ship like a men’s belly flop contest, trivia, name that tune, line dancing, salsa lessons, etc.

The disembarkation process was so well organized that we were off the ship by 7:30am. You are assigned an area to wait in, and the flat panel screen tells you the actual time within 15 minutes that you will be called. It was very efficient.

In closing, I would not hesitate to take the whole family on board this ship. It is a great ship for multi generations and I can’t wait to go on this ship again.