Today is the first day of a new month and a sea day and we are doing the exact same thing as we did the last month on a sea day – sleep late and then go to the Sea Day Brunch.
I startled the coffee ladies. They didn’t know we were staying on and when I ordered the coffees, they looked up and said “Oh, hello, your usual for this week too?” How do they remember?
The pool area was crowded as I knew it would be. Chuck was in the casino so I only had to find one chair. I finally did find one near the pool. Lots of free-range children on this cruise – running in packs. However, they can only be in the aft pool if there is a parent/guardian with them. I see less people on scooters for this trip.
I stayed out there until it was time to get cleaned up for our first Elegant Evening of this cruise. I was happy to see that the laundry was back and I checked our account. No charge for the service so I guess I should have trusted the steward when he said “it will be fine.”
Tonight, when I put in a reservation for a table, they assigned us a table on the 4th floor of the dining room instead of the 3rd. It seems louder as I guess the noise from the 3rd floor is rising up along with the conversations on the 4th floor. Wonder if we will be on the 4th from now on or if this change just happened because of how many people eat in the main dining room for Elegant Night.
We both ordered the lobster tail and tonight they brought us two tails. Last week we only got one each. I was surprised but I didn’t complain. Love the lobster.
Listened to the Magic Rock Band until it was time to go to the Comedy Club. We only went to the new comedian’s show. He had another funny routine but at one point he was so animated he got red in the face and kind of got dizzy. Worried he was going to have a mini stroke.
Still no towel animal for this trip. Wonder if it is because we saw them last week so he figured we don’t want any more or they don’t do them if the trip is under 7 days. Not a big enough deal to ask about but they are cute.
Tomorrow is Cozumel – a popular cruising port. They have several piers. We have been here when there have been many ships. Will be interested in seeing how many there are tomorrow.
By the time we got up at 6:30, the ship was docked at Port Canaveral. The Coffee Bar was open so I was able to get us our coffee. We went to the dining room for breakfast.
As we were in the dining room, the Cruise Director came on the intercom and said that the port was having trouble with one of the gangways and one of the escalators so disembarkation was delayed until further notice. He asked everyone to vacate their room by 8:15 and go to a public seating area except on 3rd floor where the gangway is located. He made that announcement several times.
At 8:50 we arrived at the Northern Lights Dining Room with our passports, sail and sign cards, and our paperwork. The room was packed. All the Diamond and Platinum guests that were already supposed to be off the ship were sitting in there. The poor Guest Services people were asking the B2B guests to move to the far back of the Dining Room.
It was 9:45 before they started letting the Platinum and Diamond guests disembark. I know some of them probably had early flights and were distraught. However, all the cruise lines recommend that you never have a flight that leaves earlier than 11:00. You never know if there is going to be an issue with the weather (fog especially), the ship, Customs, or, as in this case, the Port itself.
Once most of those guests were off, the two ladies who were on their third leg of back-to-backs said it would go fast now for us – get our cards, meet Customs, back on – 15 minutes tops. Ha! No.
There were 200 people doing the same thing we were – staying on for the 6-day western Caribbean. There were 3 Guest Services ladies who had to check us off their list, scan our old cards like we were disembarking, and then hand us our new cards for this cruise. Then they had us all line up and head toward the Port and Customs.
I guess the sheer number of us overwhelmed the Customs so they made stop in the hallway, turn around facing the ship, and they checked us in the hallway. We had to pull down our masks to show we were who we said we were but they didn’t ask us if we had anything to declare, etc. I think they just wanted to get out of there. They will deal with us more in-depth next Saturday when we truly disembark. By now, it is 11:00 and I know the people waiting to get on the ship for this next cruise are very anxious.
We were presented with a mimosa when we got back on the ship and offered a free picture. My hair was standing on end and I was in a t-shirt and shorts. No thank you. If I had known they were going to take a picture, I might have tried harder to look presentable.
Got back to the room so I could finish getting the laundry ready to go. I had put everything in the bag but I needed my new folio number on the inventory slip so I could get my Platinum credit on this bag. We were surprised when we got back that our steward had straightened the room, emptied the garbage, and took the laundry bag. We thought he would save our room for this evening like normal since he knew we were staying on.
I tracked him down to retrieve the bag but he said not to worry about the paperwork. “It will be fine” – which is the answer they give to most everything. I guess I will have to wait and see if (1) I get my laundry back, and (2) will I get charged for it. Either issue will require a trip to Guest Services. Sigh.
We decided to get some lunch before the first new passengers start crowding the venues. Chuck ate at his favorite Bar-b-que spot – The Pig & Anchor. I got a salad from the soup and salad bar and a chicken leg from the Pig & Anchor.
We also had to go back to our muster station room and get re-checked and watch the life jacket demonstration again.
After that demo was over, we could have some pool time and people watch. We did just that until sailaway. Since today is Halloween, a lot of people boarded in costume and others had Halloween-themed clothing. There is a Halloween party tonight. Once Port Canaveral was in the rear-view mirror, the Casino and the Shops opened.
While Chuck was in the Casino and I was in the room getting cleaned up for dinner, I heard a very loud woman coming down the hallway. I never heard her companion (I assume she was not talking to herself) but she was griping about where her room was located, the rules about mask wearing, and declared she would “never sail this bucket of bolts again. And her luggage better be at her room or “they” hadn’t seen pissed!” Wow. Hadn’t been on the ship 4 hours and already upset. Doesn’t bode well for her cruise.
We were in a brand-new section of the dining room this evening. Our team was led by Zurine – very fast and efficient. I enjoyed my sweet and sour shrimp and Chuck enjoyed his beef roast.
We did not go to the Welcome Aboard Show but did go to the two comedy shows. The first comic was also on the last cruise and his show was a repeat for us. The next comedian was new and we enjoyed his routine.
Tomorrow is our first Sea Day of this cruise. Know the pool area will be crowded.
We didn’t get a towel animal but we did get a fruit basket and a bottle of Brut for being a back-to-back cruisers.
To be able to stay on the ship for the next cruise, we had to take another Covid test. Ours was scheduled for 10:30 today. We got coffee at 8:30 but decided to wait and go to the Sea Day Brunch after we had our test.
I passed by Guest Services and people are already lining up I assume to discuss the crew gratuities (tips), sometimes known as the hotel service charge, that was added on the bill today. Some people say they always remove the automatic gratuities as they only want to tip the people who they have direct contact with and they want to tip them in cash.
I guess that sentiment is all well and good but I wonder if they know that Guest Services records who doesn’t leave the auto tips on and then notifies the stewards, etc. If they receive cash from those guests, the crew is obligated to give up the cash so it can be distributed in the same percentage as the auto gratuity is. For example, the steward and waiters can’t do their jobs correctly and efficiently without the people behind the scenes who wash the clothes, towels, linens, wash all the dishes, stock the carts, etc. If the crew fails to give up the cash and is discovered, they can be dismissed from employment immediately.
If a guest will leave the automatic gratuities on their bill, any additional cash they wish to present to a crew member can be kept by the crew member and he/she can decide if they wish to split it with someone else.
The ship doesn’t hide how much will be charged to you for the automatic gratuities. You see it in the paperwork of the total cost of the cruise. I think someone should just budget for it like you budget for any excursions you might take or purchases you might make. If you don’t want a bill at the end of the cruise, just pre-pay the tips when you pay for the cruise and you don’t have to think about it any more.
There are some who think people who take the gratuities off and “say” they are going to tip in cash just never tip at all. They stiff the crew who work so hard to make the vacation fun. I hope that is not the case and if it is, I hope karma gets them at some point.
At 10:20, we made our way to the Comedy Club Lounge where we checked in and seated. We only had to wait 10 or 15 minutes until our name was called and we went behind the partition for the antigen test. The medical staff performed the swab and said that we would be notified of the results. We kept our fingers crossed and went to the Sea Day brunch. I commented to the medical staff person that I knew they would be happy when testing wasn’t necessary any more. She shook her head and said from what she has been told, testing will go on for quite a while – probably all next year. Sad.
It was a rainy, cool day – first we have had since leaving Port Canaveral last Saturday so I knew there would not be pool time for me today. There was the towel animal invasion at the mid-pool area this morning before the rain.
We went to the magic show in the Showtime Theater and he did perform some very interesting card tricks.
Chuck got in some casino time and I came back to the room to catch up on my blog posts. Got ready for the afternoon/evening and met Chuck for a late lunch at the Deli.
I mentioned to him that we hadn’t got our results yet. He said they must be negative as they would have caught us early if it had been positive. They would not want us wandering around the ship.
We went on to the Alchemy Bar and then to the Casino. Stopped by the room before Dinner and tipped our cabin steward a little extra. We had an envelope on our bed and it had the negative tests results for us both. We can continue on with the next cruise. Yay!
Went to dinner and got seated in Percival’s section again but it was a different team. I hoped the team hadn’t tested positive. The new team leader said Percival’s team had gotten the Number 1 spot from the last cruise so had earned a paid day off. The staff earn credits from good reviews they get from guest surveys. I always try to remember names or write down names of staff members who go above and beyond for us. I want to be able to recognize them by name in the surveys.
I was glad they had a day off but it was too bad that it was the last sea day as they probably missed out on some extra tips as people didn’t know he wouldn’t be there that night.
We had a very good dinner – I had the pork chop and Chuck had the beef ribs.
We saw an excellent production show in the Showtime Theater – America Rocks. The band that plays in the Ocean Plaza each night – Magic Band – played in this production and the two singers also took part in the production. The woman singer (from Albany Georgia) definitely had a better voice than the two lead female singers in the cast. I didn’t realize how screechy their voices could be until I heard the Magic Band singer sing some of the songs. The Magic Band male singer was good but the two male vocalists did just as good as he did.
The sang a great variety of songs from Rock and Roll – Cars, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Pat Benatar, etc. The crowd was on their feet at the end.
As we have to be in the Northern Lights Dining Room at 9:00 tomorrow to present our sail and sign cards and passports for the second part of the cruise, we decided to call it a night.
No towel animal tonight. Lots of luggage out in the hallway ready to be picked up. I’m thankful that my hand has stopped hurting.
It is another early port day – 7:00 to 2:30. We were going to go ashore if the area was like the port at Roatan or Grand Turk and had a private beach to enter to go snorkeling.
We didn’t get up until 8:30. We missed breakfast in the dining room but I was able to get us coffee from the coffee bar. We got a light breakfast from the Lido.
It was a pretty day and we looked at the port area scanning for the beach area. However, we could tell that there was no beach but there was a large swimming pool with a swim-up bar. Carnival Freedom is in port with us today also. The best we could tell was the only beach area was fenced off and appeared to belong to the high-rise condos. Since the ship has two nice pools and people to bring you drinks, we changed our minds about going ashore and had a nice time alternating between the pool and the hot tub.
We had a light Lido lunch and then Chuck went in for a nap. I stayed out for a while longer and then after sail-away I got a milkshake from the coffee bar. Don’t judge – first one for the trip. They are so good.
The casino opened about 3:00 so Chuck was ready for it. I got dressed for the evening and hung out at the Alchemy listening to the live music until dinner time. We were seated in JaJo’s section again tonight. I had a cornmeal crusted chicken breast that tasted like a Chick-fil-A chicken breast. Chuck had the salmon.
There was no big production show tonight. The two comedians performed their shows in the Showtime Lounge tonight. With tomorrow being a sea day, I think they figured the Comedy Club would be too crowded so they moved it to the Lounge. They were just as funny as the other night and had all new material.
Tomorrow is the last Sea Day as we head back to Port Canaveral. I have talked to several people who are staying on for the next cruise.
By the time we woke up at 8:00, we had already docked and I assume people had gotten off the ship. The port time today is 7:00 – 2:30. Since we have seen Old San Juan, the forts, and the rainforest, we had no plans to get off the ship.
My hand throbbed all last night despite taking two ibuprofen. As I was adjusting the lounger yesterday, it got away from me and hit my right hand just below the thumb with a sharp smack. It stung but I didn’t think much of it. However, as the day went on, it was sore. I woke up several times with it hurting. It looks slightly swollen and it appears to be bruised. I don’t think anything is broken as I can still move the fingers. I put some BioFreeze on it. I hope it helps.
Today was pretty much a repeat of yesterday. Breakfast and lunch at the Lido with pool time in between. The Carnival app said that tonight was our second elegant night so I wore my black slacks and a nice tunic-type blouse. Chuck had the filet mignon and I had the broiled shrimp. The waiter decided that Chuck didn’t get enough to eat so he brought him a plate of shrimp. Chuck doesn’t waste food so we split that plate. We have got to tell the waiters not to bring extra food. Tonight is not the first time they have tried to bring him extra food.
For being a Platinum member, I received my complimentary plate of Chocolate Delight today. Actually, they delivered two plates and I thought I might get charged for one but it was too late. They were already in my room. The plates contained chocolate covered strawberries, dark chocolate nuggets, and miniature macarons. Everything was excellent.
We went to the Casino to play the Pig slot machine. It is a fun machine watching the Piggy Bank get fatter and fatter and hoping it will bust. However, when it does bust, we never seem to get the prize money bigger than the $10 – $12 mini prize. Sure would love to get the $10,000 winner. We’ve been luckier with the free spin option that we get every now and then.
We went to the late show in the Showtime Lounge called 88 Keys. The pre-show featured the piano bar entertainer – Brad. He was really playing that piano well and belting out songs. Then the entertainers came out. You could tell they only mimicked playing the piano as they performed songs. The songs were mostly Elton John, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Billy Joel. We’ve seen this show before but they updated it so there were some new features. At the very end, Brad came back out and they got the audience involved in the song Tootie Fruitie. They are a talented group of entertainers.
Tonight, the Comedy Club featured two new comics that I believe boarded in St. Thomas. I thought they were funnier than the other two. Prior to the show, the emcee asked the audience to tell him a dirty joke. The best joke as decided by the audience would win a prize. Chuck told his whale joke. It got the biggest laughs so he won the prize. He wore his medal proudly.
After the Comedy show, we called it a night. The towel animal tonight is a frog.
Wasn’t sure what we planned to do today in St. Thomas. Thought about snorkeling off of a beach near the port but was not sure that the place was still open. Will have to do more research before we come back in December.
Got up at 7:30 and went for coffee. We were already docked and people were getting off. All aboard is at 4:30 today. We decided to have breakfast in the main dining room even though it wasn’t a Brunch day. I had the French toast which was very good but I was not a fan of the weird sauce-covered bananas.
Since we docked at a different port than the last time, we decided to walk around and see what was happening. Different dock – same stores. The humidity was already very high at 10:00 so we didn’t last long.
Came back and decided to play some mini golf up on the 12th floor. Fairly challenging holes. Not busy on a port day. Heat and humidity still a problem as there wasn’t even a small breeze. I won by 4 strokes. I’m sure we’ll have a rematch on the next leg of this cruise.
The pool was not crowded so we got our stuff and found a couple of loungers and bobbed around in the pool for a while. If it is not too crowded, you can float but mostly people just stand around and bob. The deepest is 4 ½ feet.
We took a break from our busy pool time to eat some lunch and then we felt the need to go back in the pool. We were so worn out from this adventurous day that we came back to the room and took a nap.
The evening brought some time at the Alchemy Bar, a winning slot session at the Casino, dinner in the main dining room, and more slot play.
The show tonight in the Showtime Lounge was Country Roads. In the past, it has not been a favorite of mine so I almost didn’t go. But they have modernized it and I thoroughly enjoyed the performance.
We attended the Eighties Deck Party and listened to the music for a while. Then they started with the games so we called it a night.
Early day this morning. Up at 6:00 and got coffee at 6:30. Lots of people already milling about the ship. I got breakfast in the Lido and Chuck got a breakfast burrito from the Blue Iguana Cantina.
After listening to the health protocols for St. Martin (wear masks when indoors and bring your vaccine cards just in case you need them to enter premises), we were able to get off the ship at 8:45 and followed the map provided by the tour company – Captain Alan’s 3 Island Snorkel to the pickup point.
A gate agent found a driver from the taxi service hired by Captain Alan and he had our name. It was a large van for just the two of us. He ended up stopping and we transferred to another smaller shuttle. That driver told us there was a mix-up in drivers and he would be taking us the rest of the way and would be taking us back after the snorkel. We told him the other guy took the taxi fee.
We arrived at the marina of Captain Alan’s. I did remember it from the last time we snorkeled with them. There were only two other couples from a nearby condo resort going with us. It started to sprinkle so I was a little disappointed because it can make the water murky. However, it stopped even before Captain Corrine finished checking us in. We brought our own gear but did use their fins as they are much better than our travel fins. We only bring our fins in case the tour company doesn’t supply them.
She was running the show today. She would be the Captain, first mate, tour director, and restaurant manager. I guessed her at 25. We left promptly at 9:45 to our first snorkel stop.
Once we donned our gear, we jumped in and started swimming toward the reef area. Almost at once, a small jellyfish appeared in front of my face. I backpedaled swiftly. I didn’t see many but they were out there. I had hoped it would attract more turtles but there were only a couple of turtles and I only saw them from a distance. We did see so many pretty fish and a nurse shark.
Our next stop was a drift snorkel. She let us out at one end of the reef and we met her at the other end. It provided a spotted eagle ray, an eel, and a large turtle along with more fish. Just as Chuck was getting back to the boat, a jellyfish brushed his hand and he got stung. Luckily, it didn’t wrap around him so the sting was not bad. She had some medicine to put on it but he didn’t need it.
Our last stop was at a small island that had a beautiful beach. She anchored as close as she was allowed so we could wade to the beach. She first fed us sandwiches of ham and cheese on a baguette. She had coolers of water, soft drinks, and beer. The other couples had never been to the island so they waded in. Chuck and I stayed on the boat and talked to Corinne.
She was 40, married to Captain Alan, and had 3 children – two adults. She was born in Guyana but her mother brought them to St. Martin when she was young. She had scars on her legs from the piranha bites. She and Alan weathered Hurricane Irma and Covid. They are building their home, doing most of the work themselves. They hope to turn part of it into an Airbnb. I was very impressed with their ingenuity and commitment.
Some other tour company boats were anchoring closer to the beach where there were swimmers. Colleen got angry because they were breaking the rules set forth by the French. She said if the authorities come by and see these boats, they will make it hard on all the tour operators. She said they already make it hard for the Dutch companies to come over to the French side and they certainly didn’t need any more rules. I wonder if she will report the company when she gets back to the marina.
We made it back to the marina by 2:00 and the driver was waiting for us. We were back on board by 3:00. An excellent day with this company. We will go with them again.
Since it was still early and our bathing suits still damp, we went to the Aft pool area and enjoyed the empty hot tub until 5:00. All aboard was 5:30. I didn’t hear any names being called so I assume everyone was back on time.
After sail-away and getting cleaned up, I listened to the music in the Alchemy Bar while Chuck got in some casino time.
We were back in Percival’s section tonight. I ordered the Linguini and Chuck had the beef tenderloin. Excellent meal again.
After dinner, I reviewed my underwater photos on the computer while Chuck went back to the Casino. This cruise seems to be filled with Casino players. I guess that is how they are filling the ships – giving great deals to their casino players and Platinum and Diamond members.
We went to the late show of the Magician/Comedian in the Showtime Lounge. He was very good. There were no comedians in the Comedy Club tonight. We decided to call it a night after the show.
Tonight’s towel animal is a bat hanging from the ceiling. So cute.
This morning was a repeat of Sunday. Coffee from the coffee bar and then the Sea Day Brunch. We walked two miles around the jogging track but then negated that walk by having two drinks at the bar.
I got too much sun on Sunday so I went in early today and prepped our snorkel gear for our trip in St. Martin tomorrow.
I went to the photography counter and picked up my very first Platinum status gift – a Carnival lanyard and pin. I guess they direct you there instead of Guest Services as that counter is always so busy.
We then went to the Platinum/Diamond status party in the Showtime Lounge. There were a lot of people who have reached this status. The youngest was 12 years old. The oldest was someone in his 80’s. We watched a film about the Carnival ships and cheered for the ships we have sailed. One of the Carnival guitarists played music and sang.
The waiters kept bringing any drinks that you wanted. They did not count against our drink package allotment. Lots of people stayed to the bitter end until they had to be shooed out with drinks in both hands. They probably would have balanced one on their heads if they could have.
We went to the Alchemy Bar area and danced until it was time for dinner. The Halloween party is tonight so people were starting to dress up in costume. This is the first year we decided not to bring our costumes. We just weren’t sure with all the COVID protocols what kind of Halloween party/contest they would be having.
We sat in a different section of the dining room for dinner tonight. With Anytime Dining, after you check-in on the app, you get the first table available. I’m not sure how you request a section and I don’t know that I would want to wait a long time for a particular section. Our wait team was very efficient and friendly. The lead team leader was JaJo.
Tonight’s entertainment in the Showtime Lounge was The Love and Marriage Game and Battle of the Sexes. I have seen these shows numerous times. Since we have an early excursion tomorrow, I decided to call it a night and Chuck went to the Casino.
Our usual sea day routine – Coffee from the coffee bar and then breakfast at the Sea Day Brunch. I had a regular breakfast of eggs and bacon and Chuck had the steak and eggs special. Breakfast in the dining room can be hit or miss but today the service was quick and the food was hot. Enjoyed conversation at the table with 4 other people – one couple from Michigan and two friends from South Carolina. Just before we left, Percival, our waiter from the night before, sang another ballad.
I spent the majority of the day at the pool reading and people watching. It was a partly cloudy day and I was surprised at the suntan that I got. Chuck spent time between the casino and the pool. We had a light lunch at the Lido.
Tonight, was elegant night so we dressed up. I was surprised to see how many women were wearing long gowns and men in suits or tuxedos as I haven’t seen people dress that way on a Caribbean cruise in a long time. Lots of women in sparkly cocktail dresses too. There were others, like us, in resort wear.
We went to the Alchemy Bar for a pre-dinner cocktail. Chuck loves the Cucumber Sunrise and I really like the Forty is the New Twenty. This bar is always crowded.
We each chose the lobster for our main course. Sometimes it is tough and chewy but tonight it was very sweet. The waiter wanted to give Chuck another one but he declined. The portions have been just right – not too much, not too little. We skipped dessert again.
We spent the rest of the evening dancing in the Ocean View Lobby area and going to see the other comedian in the Comedy Club. We liked his routine much better than the first comic.
Embarkation Day! Feels like forever since I have been able to say those words.
My fitbit alarm went off at 6:00 and I had no problem getting up. The hotel breakfast started at 7:00. Because of Covid and being short-staffed, the breakfast items were to-go only: protein bars, oranges, apples, muffins, bottles of water, and coffee. We got a few items and ate at a table outside.
The shuttle service that the hotel contracts with was right on time. She was only taking passengers that were going to the Magic which made it nice. I have been on shuttles that have to make stops at all the ships in port to drop people off. She told us there was a car accident at the pier near the Mardi Gras and some shuttles were trapped in the blockage. We were later to learn that the driver had a seizure and hit a porter. The porter sustained a broken leg. Didn’t hear if the driver hit any other vehicle or if the driver survived the seizure.
At the pier, the porters got our two big bags and we took our smaller ones. One of the perks of achieving Platinum Status is that you get to go to your room before 1:30.
Our first stop was the Health Station. The attendant checked our boarding passes, Covid vaccination cards, our negative covid tests, and our passports. He asked me “you were born in 1970, right?” I’m so paranoid now because of all the hoops to jump through that I thought he was trying to trip me up into saying something wrong. I just told him “I wish.” He just laughed. Making jokes. Okay.
Next stop, Security. Similar to the airlines. Bags go through the x-ray machine. Empty all pockets. Walk through metal detector. Done.
Next, Check-in. Only want to see passport. Hmmm. My hair has changed since 2019. Yes, I am gray haired now. Need to take another picture. Okay.
Another perk is early embarkation. There were no signs for the designated room so we finally asked. The attendant said the room was full but come back to her when they announce suite guests (who always go first) and she could then let us go into the room. Five more minutes – Suites guests embark.
Now we are in an upstairs holding room. No organization. After suite guests, there was not much announcing so we just got in line. One more stop. Take your picture at facial recognition kiosk. Finally. Getting on board.
SNAFU. Because of Covid cleaning protocols, no early entrance to rooms. Drag your suitcases around until 1:30. So annoying.
We passed our muster station and I said to Chuck, let’s get this over with. Used to be that you had to sit through a very long safety presentation. Now, you can go in – electronically check you in and you watch the life vest demonstration. 10 minutes done. Later, you watch the entire video in your cabin. I’ve always said, no matter how detailed you can give the presentation or what form it takes, if the ship were really going down, there is going to be total chaos. Human nature.
Made it up to the Lido Deck and ate at the Blue Iguana Cantina. We were able to keep our carry-ons out of the way. I love their shrimp burritos so much. While Chuck was getting his food, he heard someone say that they are allowing Platinum guests to drop off their luggage even though they can’t stay in the room. Great!
Next stop, our room. Our hallway had the main doors open so they were ready for occupancy anyway. We were able to put our bags up with no problem. We even saw our big bags in the hallway ready to be delivered.
Even though we have been on the Magic before and her sister ship the Dream, we walked around to familiarize ourselves with it again. We made our way to the casino, the Red Frog Pub, the Serenity area (over 21 only area), and the Aft Pool area.
After 1:30, we went back to the cabin and our luggage was waiting for us. Got everything unpacked and stored away in time for the sailaway. Met our room steward and asked him for a robe. Chuck just told him not to bother giving him one – he would just run naked up and down the halls. Took the poor steward a minute to determine that Chuck was joking. He’s probably thinking – oh great, one of “those” guests.
The sailaway was advertised as sailing at 3:00 but it didn’t leave until closer to 4:00.
We passed the Mardi Gras and we waved to its passengers. The ships exchanged horn blows. It is a very big ship, close to 6000 passengers at full capacity, and people were already riding the roller coaster. So fun to once again watch the port getting smaller and smaller as we head out to sea.
Once we hit international water, the casino opened. I got a free $25 slot play so I wanted to play. On your first machine, you have to activate your room key and decide on a PIN. I thought I had done everything correctly but of course my PIN didn’t work. I thought I had punched something in wrong. Back up to the cage area. No, my PIN was correct. I went to another machine – everything went fine. Lost my free $25 in less than 30 minutes. Just like at land casinos. *Sigh*
Got some cash and tried another machine. Won $50! Yay. I cashed out and was waiting for my ticket. No ticket. Said my money was “On my Bank.” What’s that? Turns out I have to take my key up to the cage and they give me money or I can keep it on my key and play some more. Just be sure to cash out before the end of the cruise. So far, Chuck is doing well at 3-card poker.
We have Anytime Dining option. I really like that when you are ready to eat and if you want to eat in the main dining room, you just check-in with the Carnival app on your phone. They notify you when your table is ready. The service was a little slow tonight but it is the first night and the head waiter seems to be having to really direct his assistants. I am sure they will get faster.
Our head waiter is also a very good singer. Right before the main course came out, the lights dimmed and he was introduced. He sang a ballad and everyone was astonished at his vocal range. Not sure why he is not part of the entertainment crew.
I had the lasagna and Chuck had the brisket. We normally opt out of dessert and it really freaks the waiters out. “What? No dessert? You are on vacation.” True, but we are stuffed after the appetizer, salad/soup, and main course.
We then went to the Welcome Aboard Show. Our cruise director is from Scotland. Hearing his voice on the intercom, I had guessed Australian. The performers sang and danced a few numbers from their upcoming shows. I hope the shows are as good as I remember.
We went to the Comedy Club but I was not impressed with this comedian. He just talked to the audience and made fun of people. He didn’t really tell any jokes. There is another comedian that we hope to catch tomorrow night. Maybe I will like him more.
Was a long day. Our first full sea day tomorrow. Our towel animal tonight is an elephant.
