Well, it seems I do only blog once a year when we cruise. I did promise a wedding post last year, didn't I? Perhaps I'll come back to do that! I did update the blog title, but still.....it isn't quite right.
So we did our annual cruise on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore, Maryland. Our ports of call were St. Thomas, Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Martin. It was the most relaxing vacation we've ever had. I know I say that every year, but this is truth!
I'm going to do a day by day review of our trip, with pictures, and some final thoughts. Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Day Zero ~ Travel Day
Yay! Vacation is finally here. We've been counting down since we got home last December. Planning for a cruise vacation is part of the fun for me, and I've been planning for a bit.
We were up about 6 to get ready & load the car. Allen was here to help, and to stay with Gunner for the next 13 nights. We hit the road about 8:45, stopped at Starbucks for coffee and breakfast, and then were Baltimore bound!
It was a beautiful day! Sunny and unseasonably warm. When we arrived in Baltimore, it was 86! We stayed at Pier 5 on the Inner Harbor. It was a beautiful view. There were also a TON of people out and about because it was so gorgeous. We had a bit of a challenge getting to the hotel because we had no clue where we were, and the GPS was going crazy. Finally Doug asked somebody at a red light for directions. They were perfect, and we were there within 10 minutes. Like I said, our view was gorgeous.
I have a Facebook friend, Lisa, that lives near Baltimore. We made plans for Doug and I to meet her and her husband for dinner. I've never met Lisa IRL, but I felt like I'd known her forever. We had dinner at The Blue Agave. Oh My Heck was it yummy! The drinks were good. The food was great. The table by the open window was awesome. The company was the best. I am SO very happy that Lisa made this happen. Thank you Lisa!!
We called the hotel shuttle about 9 to come back and get us. It had been a long travel day, and we were both tired, but we did have to watch the World Series. I organized stuff for tomorrow, we set the alarm for 6, and hoped for a great night's sleep.
We were up about 6 to get ready & load the car. Allen was here to help, and to stay with Gunner for the next 13 nights. We hit the road about 8:45, stopped at Starbucks for coffee and breakfast, and then were Baltimore bound!
It was a beautiful day! Sunny and unseasonably warm. When we arrived in Baltimore, it was 86! We stayed at Pier 5 on the Inner Harbor. It was a beautiful view. There were also a TON of people out and about because it was so gorgeous. We had a bit of a challenge getting to the hotel because we had no clue where we were, and the GPS was going crazy. Finally Doug asked somebody at a red light for directions. They were perfect, and we were there within 10 minutes. Like I said, our view was gorgeous.
Day One ~ Embarkation Day
Woot Woot! Finally we're going to be boarding Grandeur of the seas for 12 glorious nights!! I was so excited to be heading to the port. This is our 5th cruise, but this feeling of excitement never gets old.
Neither of us slept very well, and we got up at 5:30. Doug went to the lobby to bring coffee up to the room for me; he's awesome like that! We got dressed and went to the lobby for breakfast. It was a very nice breakfast, although not complimentary, but $16 per person. They had a nice spread and made to order omelets and eggs. But, we used points to stay here, and the breakfast was somehow included in that, which was nice.
Back in the room we got things all packed and went to load up the car. It was about 9:30 at this point, which is about 1/2 hour later than Doug was hoping to leave...oops. But we're on the road, and traffic is crazy, and we still aren't sure where we're going, and things are marked very well. BUT, finally, we made it to 395. We missed our exit. Well, actually, there was a sign on the highway that said for the cruise port to use Exit 56. But really we should have used Exit 55. So we went through the tunnel, did a turn around, and back to Exit 55. And then BAM ~ Cruise Maryland!!
We still arrived before they were letting people into the parking lot. While we were waiting to park, Doug learned to go live on Facebook, so that was fun to do.
After a short wait we were queued up to drop off our luggage, waiting to pay for parking, parked, and walked into the terminal. This is SUCH and EASY port to cruise from. They take the luggage right out of your car, you pay parking, park, and that's it.
Check in was very easy, too. We filled out our health questionnaire, got our sea pass cards and were waiting to board within 15 minutes of going through security, which is also a breeze. We waited about 15 to 20 minutes and then were boarding the ship. We were on board by 11 am. We did stop for our all aboard photo! We also saw several crew members we know from previous cruises (Rauschman & Ullston before we were even on the ship).
Everybody had to board from deck 1 because the ramp they used to go to deck 4 was broken and not yet repaired. I don't feel like it slowed down boarding at all, and we board on deck 1 anyway because the ramp is too much uphill walking for Doug's knees right now.
We had a short wait for an uncrowded elevator, and then headed to the Schooner Bar to wait for the rooms to open and have our first drinks of the cruise. A Mango Lava Flow for Doug and Frozen Mojito for me.
We both had the ultimate drink package, which included everything you could possibly want to drink (bottled water, sparkling water, fresh squeezed juice, beer, wine, alcoholic cocktails of all sorts, pop and coffee drinks). I kept a list of everything we drank that would have been from these categories to make sure we were getting our moneys worth.
We had been on a Facebook group with other people also on our sailing, so we walked down to the R Bar in the Centrum to see if we could find anybody. We did meet Rhonda, but didn't run into anybody else.
BUT, we did see Saby then! We met Saby last year when he was the bar server in the dining room. We're friends with him on Facebook, and he saw that we were leaving for Baltimore, and he knew the reason we'd be Baltimore bound was to board the ship, so he was looking for us. It's SO nice to be remembered. The crew on Grandeur is amazing! Saby is working in the R Bar now, but he told us which bar server (Linden) to ask for in the dining room.
We had another drink in the R Bar, and then it was time to head to the cabin! We had a corner aft Junior Suite. The same cabin we had last year, and will have next year, 7150. It was such a great cabin! HUGE balcony with 2 chairs, 2 loungers and a table and so much empty space! And an enormous walk in closet. The bathroom is a nice size and has a bathtub.
I usually like to unpack right away before muster. But there was only one person delivering ALL of the luggage for our deck, so it took a good while before we got it. So I unpacked the carry-ons and we headed to deck 5 for muster. Then back to the cabin to hopefully unpack, and wait for sail away, which was scheduled for 4. But still....no luggage. We just went and got it ourselves. It was close to 4, but I wanted to unpack as much as possible before sail away. It was an easy unpacking since I knew right where to put stuff since we had this cabin last year. Well, we didn't end up sailing until nearly 6! They were still loading pallets of supplies on the ship.
Finally around 6 there was an announcement that we'd be leaving, then an awfully loud song was played (it was awful) and then we were off! Doug did his 3rd Facebook Live video haha and we went into. It was getting dark and chilly and we needed to get ready for dinner anyway.
We went to the Schooner Bar for pre-dinner drinks and then off to the dining room for dinner. Peter was the My Time Dining host and had a great table for us by the window. We also know Peter from last year and are friends with him on Facebook and were looking forward to seeing him. Our waitstaff was Wayne & Natasha. We loved them! We asked for Linden, and he came over and brought wine. Later he brought dinner shooters. The dining room is gorgeous! My Time Dining is on deck 5 while traditional dining with early and late seating is on deck 4.
Dinner was OK. Doug had a Caesar salad and slow road filet of beef with a baked potato and creme brulee for dessert. I had watermelon & raspberry soup, which was just OK and the horseradish crused salmon with mashed potatoes, which I love, and moist almond chocolate cake for dessert. I ordered cappuccino instead of coffee because I really do not enjoy the ship's coffee. Natasha made is just perfectly! It was the first after dinner coffee I've ever enjoyed on a ship!
After dinner we checked out the piano player, Tony B, in the Schooner Bar. He's excellent and lively and entertaining. But we never went back in there to listen to him. We spent most evenings at the R Bar.
Then back to the room. There was a Halloween Party, but we didn't go. Many people were dressed in costumes all evening, which was kind of fun. Maybe next year we'll take costumes with us. It had been a great day, but also long and we were tired, so off to bed.
Neither of us slept very well, and we got up at 5:30. Doug went to the lobby to bring coffee up to the room for me; he's awesome like that! We got dressed and went to the lobby for breakfast. It was a very nice breakfast, although not complimentary, but $16 per person. They had a nice spread and made to order omelets and eggs. But, we used points to stay here, and the breakfast was somehow included in that, which was nice.
Back in the room we got things all packed and went to load up the car. It was about 9:30 at this point, which is about 1/2 hour later than Doug was hoping to leave...oops. But we're on the road, and traffic is crazy, and we still aren't sure where we're going, and things are marked very well. BUT, finally, we made it to 395. We missed our exit. Well, actually, there was a sign on the highway that said for the cruise port to use Exit 56. But really we should have used Exit 55. So we went through the tunnel, did a turn around, and back to Exit 55. And then BAM ~ Cruise Maryland!!
We still arrived before they were letting people into the parking lot. While we were waiting to park, Doug learned to go live on Facebook, so that was fun to do.
After a short wait we were queued up to drop off our luggage, waiting to pay for parking, parked, and walked into the terminal. This is SUCH and EASY port to cruise from. They take the luggage right out of your car, you pay parking, park, and that's it.
Check in was very easy, too. We filled out our health questionnaire, got our sea pass cards and were waiting to board within 15 minutes of going through security, which is also a breeze. We waited about 15 to 20 minutes and then were boarding the ship. We were on board by 11 am. We did stop for our all aboard photo! We also saw several crew members we know from previous cruises (Rauschman & Ullston before we were even on the ship).
Everybody had to board from deck 1 because the ramp they used to go to deck 4 was broken and not yet repaired. I don't feel like it slowed down boarding at all, and we board on deck 1 anyway because the ramp is too much uphill walking for Doug's knees right now.
We had a short wait for an uncrowded elevator, and then headed to the Schooner Bar to wait for the rooms to open and have our first drinks of the cruise. A Mango Lava Flow for Doug and Frozen Mojito for me.
We both had the ultimate drink package, which included everything you could possibly want to drink (bottled water, sparkling water, fresh squeezed juice, beer, wine, alcoholic cocktails of all sorts, pop and coffee drinks). I kept a list of everything we drank that would have been from these categories to make sure we were getting our moneys worth.
We had been on a Facebook group with other people also on our sailing, so we walked down to the R Bar in the Centrum to see if we could find anybody. We did meet Rhonda, but didn't run into anybody else.
BUT, we did see Saby then! We met Saby last year when he was the bar server in the dining room. We're friends with him on Facebook, and he saw that we were leaving for Baltimore, and he knew the reason we'd be Baltimore bound was to board the ship, so he was looking for us. It's SO nice to be remembered. The crew on Grandeur is amazing! Saby is working in the R Bar now, but he told us which bar server (Linden) to ask for in the dining room.
We had another drink in the R Bar, and then it was time to head to the cabin! We had a corner aft Junior Suite. The same cabin we had last year, and will have next year, 7150. It was such a great cabin! HUGE balcony with 2 chairs, 2 loungers and a table and so much empty space! And an enormous walk in closet. The bathroom is a nice size and has a bathtub.
I usually like to unpack right away before muster. But there was only one person delivering ALL of the luggage for our deck, so it took a good while before we got it. So I unpacked the carry-ons and we headed to deck 5 for muster. Then back to the cabin to hopefully unpack, and wait for sail away, which was scheduled for 4. But still....no luggage. We just went and got it ourselves. It was close to 4, but I wanted to unpack as much as possible before sail away. It was an easy unpacking since I knew right where to put stuff since we had this cabin last year. Well, we didn't end up sailing until nearly 6! They were still loading pallets of supplies on the ship.
I ordered a cheese plate, chocolate covered strawberries and wine to have on the balcony for sail away. Doug took that stuff outside and got it ready. We decided to have our goodies while we were waiting.
Finally around 6 there was an announcement that we'd be leaving, then an awfully loud song was played (it was awful) and then we were off! Doug did his 3rd Facebook Live video haha and we went into. It was getting dark and chilly and we needed to get ready for dinner anyway.
We went to the Schooner Bar for pre-dinner drinks and then off to the dining room for dinner. Peter was the My Time Dining host and had a great table for us by the window. We also know Peter from last year and are friends with him on Facebook and were looking forward to seeing him. Our waitstaff was Wayne & Natasha. We loved them! We asked for Linden, and he came over and brought wine. Later he brought dinner shooters. The dining room is gorgeous! My Time Dining is on deck 5 while traditional dining with early and late seating is on deck 4.
Dinner was OK. Doug had a Caesar salad and slow road filet of beef with a baked potato and creme brulee for dessert. I had watermelon & raspberry soup, which was just OK and the horseradish crused salmon with mashed potatoes, which I love, and moist almond chocolate cake for dessert. I ordered cappuccino instead of coffee because I really do not enjoy the ship's coffee. Natasha made is just perfectly! It was the first after dinner coffee I've ever enjoyed on a ship!
After dinner we checked out the piano player, Tony B, in the Schooner Bar. He's excellent and lively and entertaining. But we never went back in there to listen to him. We spent most evenings at the R Bar.
Then back to the room. There was a Halloween Party, but we didn't go. Many people were dressed in costumes all evening, which was kind of fun. Maybe next year we'll take costumes with us. It had been a great day, but also long and we were tired, so off to bed.
Day Two ~ At Sea
We woke up about 8. The sea was calm all night, and we both slept great. This is the first of 3 sea days in a row. I love sea days.
Doug got dressed and went to get my Red Pastries! One of my favorite things to do in the morning is to fix a cup of coffee, sit on the balcony, have coffee and pastries and write in my journal. Since we have junior suite, we have an electric water kettle. And, this is our first cruise at the Diamond Crown & Anchor level, which means we have access to the Diamond Lounge on Deck 6, which has a continental breakfast which includes pastries. Doug was SO HAPPY about that because this cruise he only has to go down one deck. The Diamond Lounge is literally right under our cabin. Previously he had to go up 2 decks and all the way forward to the Windjammer to get my pastries, or if it was late enough up 2 decks to the Park Cafe. So a much shorter walk for him. I love that he spoils me like this!
So Doug comes back to the room with my pastries, and I'm still waiting for the kettle water to boil. Oops, the kettle isn't working. So we called Guest Services and asked to have it fixed. It took 4 people and all day to get a new kettle. But Lissette (our AMAZING cabin attendant) found us one. She also met all my requests of extra pillows, a blanket, extra towels and ice twice a day. She was the most amazing attendant we've ever had.
So we lazed around, waited for maintenance and finally went to the WJ for breakfast about ten. Of course I stopped at the pool bar on the way into breakfast for a mimosa. David & Donald (the pool bar bartenders) fixed me up every morning. Doug found us a table and was talking with Delroy by the time I walked in.
While we were eating our friend David walked by. He sat to chat with us. After I finished eating, I left Doug and David in the WJ to talk while I went to get an Americano at Caffe-Lattitudes (included in our beverage package). I was in desperate need of caffeine at this point HA! I sat in the centrum on deck 4 and read and enjoyed my coffee until Doug found me.
We decided to try our luck in the Casino this trip. We had no idea what we were doing, but we were going to give it a good go. I got $20 for each of us to play. We chose a penny slot. I put the money in, pressed buttons, not knowing what I'm doing, but kept pressing buttons and winning free spins and before I knew it, I was cashing out at $89.88. Doug put his money in, pressed buttons, and quickly lost his money. Oops.
We decided to try Giovanni's Table for lunch today. It's $19 per person for SO MUCH FOOD! Delicious food! They start you off by pouring olive oil & balsamic vinegar on a bread plate and topping it with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Then they bring you out warm, crusty kalamata olive bread for dipping. Then you order appetizers and pastas to share family style. So we ordered Caesar salad and lasagna. Our entrees were Polpette alla Romana: Milk Fed Veal Meat balls in a rich Roman tomato herb sauce for Doug and Filetto di pollo ripieno di ricotta e funghi, fonduta di Parmigiano, salvia e Chardonnay: Chicken Breast filled with ricotta and mushrooms, wrapped in prosciutto, Chardonnay, sage and Parmesan fondue for me. I enjoyed a little tiramisu for dessert. I didn't eat half of this food. I actually felt sad that I couldn't eat more HAHA!
We then went to the pool. The weather was gorgeous. Sunny, 68 and blue skies! It was slightly chilly for me, so I wore a sweater, but I was SO happy to be outside. We got drinks and water and settled in for a bit of pool time and listening to the Caribbean band that plays poolside. Our plan was to relax until it was time to get ready for dinner. Tonight is formal night.
So around 3 we returned to the cabin for a quick nap. Then another one of my favorite things.....a long bubble bath with a glass of wine before dinner. We changed our dinner time from 7:30 to 6 tonight so that Doug could watch the World Series. The Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago Cubs. Natasha remembered I love the savory bites, and she saved me 2. The food tonight was pretty good. I had a prosciutto salad with bacon dressing and shrimp ravioli and banana rum soup for the table to share. Doug had shrimp cocktail and a beef dish. Dessert was the bitter chocolate souffle for me and mile high lemon meringue pie for Doug. Natasha also brought my cappuccino. Tonight's dinner shooter was Kahlua & Baileys, yummy.
We did formal pictures
and then off to the Schooner Bar so Doug could get a great seat by the TV. I went to change, then he went to change, then we waited for the game to start. BUT....no game. They were showing college football. This is when we met Jim & Tracy. They are also Cleveland fans and were looking for the game. Since the game wasn't playing in the Schooner Bar, we went to the pool to see if it was playing on the big screen. Nope! Somebody said in the Casino bar. But Doug didn't want to watch it there. So we decided to use one of our free days of internet and try to listen to it on Doug's XM app. We sat in the Solarium and tried to connect to the internet, but no luck. So we walked out to the pool deck to see if the signal was any better, and BAM the game was on the big screen.
So we sat down, I got drinks, then I went to look for Jim & Tracy and let them know the game is on! It was already the 3rd inning, and the Indians were losing, but the game was on!! We watched until the 7th inning when we decided to just come back tomorrow for game 7. The Indians did end up losing.
We went to the R Bar in the Centrum to see Ullston and Saby, had a drink and listened to The Real Time Band for a while. I really enjoyed them this cruise. Then back to the cabin about midnight. It was a fabulous first day at sea!! We also found our first towel animal tonight. I love the towel animals!
Doug got dressed and went to get my Red Pastries! One of my favorite things to do in the morning is to fix a cup of coffee, sit on the balcony, have coffee and pastries and write in my journal. Since we have junior suite, we have an electric water kettle. And, this is our first cruise at the Diamond Crown & Anchor level, which means we have access to the Diamond Lounge on Deck 6, which has a continental breakfast which includes pastries. Doug was SO HAPPY about that because this cruise he only has to go down one deck. The Diamond Lounge is literally right under our cabin. Previously he had to go up 2 decks and all the way forward to the Windjammer to get my pastries, or if it was late enough up 2 decks to the Park Cafe. So a much shorter walk for him. I love that he spoils me like this!
So Doug comes back to the room with my pastries, and I'm still waiting for the kettle water to boil. Oops, the kettle isn't working. So we called Guest Services and asked to have it fixed. It took 4 people and all day to get a new kettle. But Lissette (our AMAZING cabin attendant) found us one. She also met all my requests of extra pillows, a blanket, extra towels and ice twice a day. She was the most amazing attendant we've ever had.
So we lazed around, waited for maintenance and finally went to the WJ for breakfast about ten. Of course I stopped at the pool bar on the way into breakfast for a mimosa. David & Donald (the pool bar bartenders) fixed me up every morning. Doug found us a table and was talking with Delroy by the time I walked in.
While we were eating our friend David walked by. He sat to chat with us. After I finished eating, I left Doug and David in the WJ to talk while I went to get an Americano at Caffe-Lattitudes (included in our beverage package). I was in desperate need of caffeine at this point HA! I sat in the centrum on deck 4 and read and enjoyed my coffee until Doug found me.
We decided to try our luck in the Casino this trip. We had no idea what we were doing, but we were going to give it a good go. I got $20 for each of us to play. We chose a penny slot. I put the money in, pressed buttons, not knowing what I'm doing, but kept pressing buttons and winning free spins and before I knew it, I was cashing out at $89.88. Doug put his money in, pressed buttons, and quickly lost his money. Oops.
We decided to try Giovanni's Table for lunch today. It's $19 per person for SO MUCH FOOD! Delicious food! They start you off by pouring olive oil & balsamic vinegar on a bread plate and topping it with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Then they bring you out warm, crusty kalamata olive bread for dipping. Then you order appetizers and pastas to share family style. So we ordered Caesar salad and lasagna. Our entrees were Polpette alla Romana: Milk Fed Veal Meat balls in a rich Roman tomato herb sauce for Doug and Filetto di pollo ripieno di ricotta e funghi, fonduta di Parmigiano, salvia e Chardonnay: Chicken Breast filled with ricotta and mushrooms, wrapped in prosciutto, Chardonnay, sage and Parmesan fondue for me. I enjoyed a little tiramisu for dessert. I didn't eat half of this food. I actually felt sad that I couldn't eat more HAHA!
We then went to the pool. The weather was gorgeous. Sunny, 68 and blue skies! It was slightly chilly for me, so I wore a sweater, but I was SO happy to be outside. We got drinks and water and settled in for a bit of pool time and listening to the Caribbean band that plays poolside. Our plan was to relax until it was time to get ready for dinner. Tonight is formal night.
So around 3 we returned to the cabin for a quick nap. Then another one of my favorite things.....a long bubble bath with a glass of wine before dinner. We changed our dinner time from 7:30 to 6 tonight so that Doug could watch the World Series. The Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago Cubs. Natasha remembered I love the savory bites, and she saved me 2. The food tonight was pretty good. I had a prosciutto salad with bacon dressing and shrimp ravioli and banana rum soup for the table to share. Doug had shrimp cocktail and a beef dish. Dessert was the bitter chocolate souffle for me and mile high lemon meringue pie for Doug. Natasha also brought my cappuccino. Tonight's dinner shooter was Kahlua & Baileys, yummy.
We did formal pictures
and then off to the Schooner Bar so Doug could get a great seat by the TV. I went to change, then he went to change, then we waited for the game to start. BUT....no game. They were showing college football. This is when we met Jim & Tracy. They are also Cleveland fans and were looking for the game. Since the game wasn't playing in the Schooner Bar, we went to the pool to see if it was playing on the big screen. Nope! Somebody said in the Casino bar. But Doug didn't want to watch it there. So we decided to use one of our free days of internet and try to listen to it on Doug's XM app. We sat in the Solarium and tried to connect to the internet, but no luck. So we walked out to the pool deck to see if the signal was any better, and BAM the game was on the big screen.
So we sat down, I got drinks, then I went to look for Jim & Tracy and let them know the game is on! It was already the 3rd inning, and the Indians were losing, but the game was on!! We watched until the 7th inning when we decided to just come back tomorrow for game 7. The Indians did end up losing.
We went to the R Bar in the Centrum to see Ullston and Saby, had a drink and listened to The Real Time Band for a while. I really enjoyed them this cruise. Then back to the cabin about midnight. It was a fabulous first day at sea!! We also found our first towel animal tonight. I love the towel animals!
Day Three ~ At Sea
So I woke up about 6:20 and my first thought was...Oh My Heck it's NOVEMBER! Where did this year go? Doug was already awake and out getting my pre-breakfast pastries. I made coffee and went out to the balcony to enjoy the sunrise. The sea is gentle and the breeze is cool. It's a beautiful morning!
Our plan is to go to the MDR for breakfast, hang out by the pool, and eat dinner at Giovanni's Table tonight. Doug got back just as I was finishing getting dressed/makeup/hair. He was up early taking pictures around the ship.
Doug got ready for breakfast and we headed out to the dining room. Peter was seating people at breakfast, too, and he gave us a table for 2. I appreciate a table for 2 at breakfast because I do not enjoy talking with random people early in the day. I had a mimosa and my first of 3 Eggs Benedict breakfasts. Doug had an omelet with ham, cheese and mushrooms.
After breakfast we went to the pool and snagged loungers in the sunshine by the pool. It's relatively warm and sunny, but so very windy! My hat blew off my head once. Doug and I took turns going to the room to change so we wouldn't be chair hogs! We settled in and relaxed for the day. The World's Sexiest Man contest was 1:30 this afternoon, which is always a funny thing to watch! We had a few drinks, got lunch from the WJ and enjoyed the sun. About 2 I got a couple drinks from the pool bar and we went to the cabin to enjoy the loungers on our balcony for a while and then to nap. I journaled for a while and Doug took pictures off the balcony. We also had room service snacks this afternoon.
We had a nice nap. Again I took a long bubble bath while enjoying a glass of wine and then we went to the R Bar for pre-dinner drinks and pictures. The Real Time Band was playing again. My Saby Special Martini made by none other than the fabulous Saby!!
After pictures we headed to Giovanni's Table for our dinner reservation.
Marco was our waiter again. He has been the past 2 cruises. We really enjoy Marco. The food here is AMAZING! I enjoy it so much. I had a glass of moscato. Marco fixed our oil/vinegar/cheese plates and brought out the olive bread. Doug mentioned that he doesn't care for that bread, so Marco went and got the bread from Chops for him. Awesome!
Appetizers were
So it is day 7 of the World Series. Doug quickly went to the cabin to change and then head to the pool deck to watch the game with Jim & Tracy. I didn't want to watch baseball tonight, so I went to the R Bar to listen to The Real Time Band and have a drink. It was crowded, but Saby found me a seat. I told him I didn't know what I wanted to drink, but I wanted something light. So he made up a martini for me. I called it the Saby Special Martini. It was fruit purees, juices, vodka and light and delicious and topped with champagne, which he knew I liked since I had a bellini the night before. It was so good I had 2.
Our plan is to go to the MDR for breakfast, hang out by the pool, and eat dinner at Giovanni's Table tonight. Doug got back just as I was finishing getting dressed/makeup/hair. He was up early taking pictures around the ship.
Doug got ready for breakfast and we headed out to the dining room. Peter was seating people at breakfast, too, and he gave us a table for 2. I appreciate a table for 2 at breakfast because I do not enjoy talking with random people early in the day. I had a mimosa and my first of 3 Eggs Benedict breakfasts. Doug had an omelet with ham, cheese and mushrooms.
After breakfast we went to the pool and snagged loungers in the sunshine by the pool. It's relatively warm and sunny, but so very windy! My hat blew off my head once. Doug and I took turns going to the room to change so we wouldn't be chair hogs! We settled in and relaxed for the day. The World's Sexiest Man contest was 1:30 this afternoon, which is always a funny thing to watch! We had a few drinks, got lunch from the WJ and enjoyed the sun. About 2 I got a couple drinks from the pool bar and we went to the cabin to enjoy the loungers on our balcony for a while and then to nap. I journaled for a while and Doug took pictures off the balcony. We also had room service snacks this afternoon.
We had a nice nap. Again I took a long bubble bath while enjoying a glass of wine and then we went to the R Bar for pre-dinner drinks and pictures. The Real Time Band was playing again. My Saby Special Martini made by none other than the fabulous Saby!!
After pictures we headed to Giovanni's Table for our dinner reservation.
Marco was our waiter again. He has been the past 2 cruises. We really enjoy Marco. The food here is AMAZING! I enjoy it so much. I had a glass of moscato. Marco fixed our oil/vinegar/cheese plates and brought out the olive bread. Doug mentioned that he doesn't care for that bread, so Marco went and got the bread from Chops for him. Awesome!
Capesante al Forno
Oven baked, almond crusted scallops with red bell pepper pesto
and
Insalata alla Cesare Romaine lettuce tossed with Caesar dressing and herb croutons
Pastas were
Gnocchi di Patate con Crema al Gorgonzola o Sugo d’Agnello Potato gnocchi tossed in light bleu cheese sauce or thyme-scented baby lamb and root vegetable sauce
and
Risotto ai Fungi Trifolati Traditional risotto made of Arborio rice and forest mushrooms, finished with porcini and truffle mushroom tapenade
Our entrees were Fagottini di Vitella Ripieni ai Funghi Porcini, Provolone e Prosciutto Cotto, Salsa al Tartufo Nero Veal tenderloin parcels filled with porcini mushrooms, provolone cheese and ham, with sautéed asparagus, black truffle sauce and veal jus for Doug and Filetto di Manzo alla Griglia, Patate Fritte all’Olio Agliato, Salsa al Barolo o Burro di Gorgonzola* 8 ounces of grilled beef tenderloin, served with garlic fries and your choice of Barolo reduction or Gorgonzola butter for me. I chose the Gorgonzola butter. Yummy!
Dessert was Tiramisu for me but Doug doesn't enjoy dessert here.
This is just so much food, and again I was sad that I couldn't eat more of it HA!
So it is day 7 of the World Series. Doug quickly went to the cabin to change and then head to the pool deck to watch the game with Jim & Tracy. I didn't want to watch baseball tonight, so I went to the R Bar to listen to The Real Time Band and have a drink. It was crowded, but Saby found me a seat. I told him I didn't know what I wanted to drink, but I wanted something light. So he made up a martini for me. I called it the Saby Special Martini. It was fruit purees, juices, vodka and light and delicious and topped with champagne, which he knew I liked since I had a bellini the night before. It was so good I had 2.
It was almost time for the show "Seasons", which used to be an ariel show, but is now just a song and dance. I was talking with an older lady, Nancy, and we watched the show together.
I then went to the Palladium Theater for the late night comedy show. He was funny! It was over about 10:45, so I went tot he pool deck to find Doug. The Indians were losing & Doug decided to just quit watching, so we went back to the R Bar. The RTB was playing their last set. We had a couple more drinks and about midnight went to the Park Cafe for a small snack. We noticed the game was still playing! It was tied up in the 9th inning and going into extra innings. So we went back to the cabin and watched it there. We tuned in right as there was a rain delay. Then when they started playing again the satellite reception was so bad that it was cutting in and out. So Doug gave up and decided to wait until morning to see who won. It was the Cubs, unfortunately.
So we decided to sleep now. It was late. It was a glorious day at sea!!
Pictures from before dinner tonight.
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