Sea Day!

Yeah… well maybe yeah.  We decided to get room service for this morning instead of fighting the crowds on board.  The throngs of kids and large groups is noticeable.  Even though it is nice to see the families and the younger people on board it is cramping our usual cruise style.  But we need to go with the flow and adjust.

We relax in the cabin for quite a while and only head down to the International Café for our usual coffees at 10 am.  The doors to the Bijoux sale have just opened and you would think it is a Black Sunday Sale they are rushing the door and you can’t move in there.  I make it in, but just to the first display and have to give up.

Instead I walk up to Calypso Cove and check out the new 50^th Anniversary items.  I end up buying a lovely sweater (not one of the anniversary items) and it will come in handy on future trips.

Bernie heads to the trivia and I head to the casino to do some donations.  Normally I am not a big gambler on board (or even at home) but since we had quite a bit of on board credit I thought why not try it.  I end up breaking even… and I walk away.

Bernie says he wants to go up on the top deck for some sunshine. Me I just want some peace and quiet and I think right now on this ship the only place I am going to find it is our cabin. 

I do head up to get some lunch to bring back to the cabin and as I climb the stairs I almost trip over this large group of teenagers (around 15) in a circle at the base of the stairs.  REALLY can you not find some other place to hang out at.  But I don’t want to slam teenagers or kids in general.  There are a lot of great kids on board and a lot of very polite ones too, often a heck of a lot with better manners than many adults I meet on board.

I did try and make a reservation at the Crab Shack for the last day but couldn’t get thru to the dine line at all yesterday before sail away and today when I try at noon the only spots available are after 9 pm so we pass and Bernie promises me we will do it on the Royal.

Nap time!  I know I should have been more productive but the nap is calling and I just can not deny it.  I wake refreshed and ready for a busy night.

It starts with drinks in Crooners chatting with the amazing bar staff there.  We have reservations tonight in the Crown Grill for 6 pm.  We are sat at a great table and Ivan is our server again.

We order a bottle of wine and I start with the Spinach/Beet/Goat Cheese Salad.  Then the Black and Blue Onion Soup.  I really don’t want steak tonight so I go for the seared shrimps served over rice.  It is a nice change and a bit lighter.  Of course the Chocolate Obsession for dessert! 

The food is amazing!  Sadly the service was not.  But like the other night this is not because Ivan is not a good server it is just he has way too many tables to serve and he gets no help from an assistant or the head waiter.

We had to refill our wine glasses, and we even had to reach into the ice bucket to fill our glasses with the sparkling water too, when we just couldn’t wait any longer. 

No one came to ask us how our meal was or if Bernie’s lamb was cooked correctly.  We ordered dessert and it was delivered and no one asked if we wanted tea or coffee.  We asked for tea and an assistant came and delivered it but she really didn’t know what to do… we then asked for milk (as she brought neither cream or milk with the tea). 

In the end we both comment that we love the food but the service is lacking in the specialty restaurants.  Is this a sign of cutbacks?  Probably… but sadly it may mean that fewer people will do it.  I know we have cut back how often we dine in the specialty restaurants because of the changes.  It just is no longer special, in fact it is often poorer service than we get in the dining room.

We leave the Crown Grill and we are happy to say we didn’t over eat!  The party in the Atrium is just wrapping up.  Looks like a good crowd.  Lots of people are dressed up, even the kids look amazing.  Many are posing for pictures… what a great souvenir.

There is quite a bit happening around the ship tonight.  Hawley Magic is on board this ship too (they were on the Grand last week) and they have two shows tonight in the Princess Theater 8:15 and 10:15 pm. 

After using the washroom on deck six near the dining room I noticed it was in desperate need of cleaning – garbage’s were full, no toilet paper, one toilet was full, mess on the counter.  It had been an hour and a half since the last cleaning and with so many people using this washroom because they access it while dining or partying in the Atrium.  I pick up the nearest phone and call the Purser’s Desk…. Of course I get the voice mail saying press one for dining, two for housekeeping, three for reservations, four for blah blah blah… I just press 0.  And what do I get the menu all over again… press one for dining, two for housekeeping… blah blah press for tours… argh!  I hang up and just walk over to the Purser’s Desk and inform them that the washroom needs attention. 

We stop into the Explorer’s Lounge for some music with “Dealing with Colors” which is a young band but they are very good.  It is Rock and Roll Night and the music theme is from that time. 

Majority Rules is starting and we decide to stay and enjoy and we have some good laughs.

We enjoy our two free cocktails with our coupon in lieu of the Captain Circle Party. 

After the game we head towards Vista Lounge to see the comedian but it is 9:30 and the show starts at that time and I know that it will be impossible to get seats (and it is impossible).  The comedian Derrick Cameron has another show at 11:15 but we are both not up to hanging out until then.

We are back in the cabin and we see we have received our disembarkation information and luggage tags.  We received Gold 5 which is independent US Citizens.  There is a group for Non US Citizens so Bernie heads down to the Pruser’s Desk and he comes back with the Non US Citizens group.

They are having a happy hour again tonight in Skywalkers Nightclub from 10 pm to 11 pm.  But who are we kidding we won’t be there.

Other things happening:  Stateroom TV Movie Maleficient; Uber Rossi is preforming again in the Piazza (busy guy); MUTS Teen Guitar Hero; Piano Bar Luke Yates; Rock and Roll Night Theme party in Explorers; Texas Hold Em Players Meet in Casino; MUTS Guardians of the Galaxy; Karaoke in Explorers.