Princess Cays

We actually set the alarm clock!  We want a quick start this morning as we drop anchor early and we want to head off to the beach early.  

We wake when room service arrives. A simple healthy breakfast to tie us over until the hunger pains just start!  

They open the tenders and we are on board the first tender.

If you are elite or in a suite you get priority tendering.  You still need to enter the dining room on deck five but you are directed to the first tender leaving.

Tenders here are from shore side and they are large and hold well over a hundred people.  This is great in one way as you can move a lot of people but getting on and getting off is slow.  

By 9 am we are ashore and laying in a lounge chair in our favorite area in front of the Cabanas.

Can life get any better?  Here is my view above.

 Sand fleas are out.  Sitting under a palm tree and in the shade is not the best option as the fleas love these conditions.  I did bring some bug repellent and sprayed my chair and this did help.  But I did get bitten in two spots.  

Now before people start saying anything about the fleas do take note that Princess does spray all the time to help combat them.  But they are hard to control.  Every beach I have been to has them.  They are all over the Caribbean and Mexico.  

Sometimes it is worse than others, sometimes it is BAD and sometimes it is almost none existent. Of course they love my blood.

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It helps to have bug spray and to stay away from trees and shaded area. 

We spend the next few hours sunning but boy it is hot.  The water is a nice respite from the heat. We both comment on how warm the water is like bath water.  A big difference from February where you have ease into the cool water.

Yes there are still lots of rocks here.  I find the best thing is to wade in on the sandy area then just swim out above the rocks and get deep enough that you can float.  Water shoes can certainly help but I hate wearing them personally.

I take my float ring that I always bring with me and just float around.

We did snorkel and Bernie commented that he thought the coral was doing quite well and had improved since the last time we were here in February.  Sadly some passengers don't understand the delicacy of the coral and stand on some causing them to break and die. 

It never really gets very busy ashore.

Demographics on board is slowly changing.  A lot fewer kids, less families.  Still more than what is normal for us.

Big news is that Ocean Medallion wifi works ashore here.  And it is strong and fast!

Take note that your ultimate drink package works ashore too so drink up.  However some bars have limited drinks.  Also if you have the soda package this does not work ashore for soda as they have no gun dispenser for the soda.  

After three hours in the sun we are hot, salty, sticky from sunscreen and have had our share of the sun so we head back.  

Love the new covered tender waiting station.  Also love that the security stations are set up ashore saving you the issue of having to do that when you get back on board.

Of I forgot to mention Bernie is still having problems with his card.  Or I should say Princess is having problems with his card.  He taps onto the Ocean Medallion and it comes up still with no picture.  So he has to go aside and give our cabin number.  It does work in the old hand held devices.  IT is on board and they take note.  This is an issue, but more for us because we are in transit.

Back on board we shower and feel totally new.  Talk about coming back new!

We head up to the Worldfresh Marketplace for lunch.  I am so in love with the buffet here.  So many great options.  I am still waiting for signs identifying what the food items but that is coming we have been told.  They are still working on improving the entire experience.

While up here Deb (another passenger) introduces herself and her spouse.  She reads my blog and I love chatting with them and getting their perspective.  Although I love to cruise and write about it, my perspective is, well -- my perspective.  So to hear and see the same cruise, port stop, event, meal from someone else is very informative.  I love Deb's blog.  You can follow her here, she too is blogging live and I believe in supporting each other and she does a great job.

I want to attend the Detourist session this afternoon which is all about photography and how to use some new tips to improve your experience when travelling with your camera.

Jase leads it and the Platinum Studio artist is also here and he gives some great tips.  I am already putting the tips into action with my pictures.  I often quickly take pictures as I am going by but I am going to try and focus and go slower and really work at capturing what I want to communicate.

The entire session is not very long and easy to attend and informative.

Check out these screens in Club Fusion where you can be the DJ and control what is being played.  I need to try it out one time.

Tonight we head to Skywalkers for the Platinum Elite lounge.  We are shocked when we enter around 5:30 as it is really busy.  What happened to the ship?  The last two sailings you could throw a rock and maybe hit one person, today it is hard to find a seat.

This is a representation of how the demographics have changed.  There are a lot more Platinum/Elite guests.

The chefs are busy replenishing the food station (which is serving prawns with cocktail sauce) and plates and cutlery.  I don't think they had to do that even once last two weeks.

The staff are running around taking drink orders.  Many passengers are annoyed as it is taking too long (according to them) to get their drinks.  Yes is taking longer than normal but hey we are on vacation.  We spot a couple get very frustrated that a table has not been cleared.  It is sad when people act like this.  

We notice that some buffet stewards are up here and more bar staff soon to help with the crowds.  I am very impressed how this ship notices and implements when there is an issue. A sign of good leadership.

One thing we don't care for is the cheese.  Since we got on the cheese seems to be tasteless and a weird texture.  The cheddar, jalapeno jack cheese and the havartti (now I hope that is the names but don't quote me) are really off putting.  The cheddar taste like a processed cheese.  Yuck.  So we have pretty much stayed away from the food station except for veggies and olives.  

Neither of us is really hungry. We had a late lunch and Bernie really just wants to go to watch a movie.  So we divide and I wander down to Vines and order a glass (or two) of wine and some sushi.  I then get some Greek salad from the International Cafe and that ties me over.

I enjoy spending time there and chatting with others and Dominique and Jonathan.  I am going to miss these two next week.

I wanted to add that we traded this weeks mini bar for two coffee cards.  The coffee cards are now electronic and applied to your cards.  It was applied very quickly after calling.  The charge did show up on our account but it was removed later - which is normal.  The cards expire now at the end of the cruise - which is disappointing as there is no way we could drink 30 coffees in 7 days.  Well we could but we would have to harness that energy somehow!  It is also a pain because you don't know how many coffee drinks you have left.  But since we traded in our mini bar we can't really complain.

A new party band has joined the ship.  Tempo is now on board and we really like them and have sailed with them before.

Ocean Medallion update. Seems a lot of people have the Medallion around their neck.  Lido and Riviera decks have the medallions.

Now when you order drinks at the coffee bar you tap your card on the ocean medallion station.  The light ring changes from blue to green.  However when you order drinks from bar staff they still either take your card and tap or they take your folio number and charge it that way.

We got our Most Travelled Guest Invitation also.  Not sure where we fall.  To tell you the truth I rarely check at where we fall as I don't really care but if I get to chat with Faye and she is at her desk I will ask.  We are just happy to be included.  The party will take place the night of Saint Maarten.  

Sunday – Princess Cays

I end up waking up around 4 am and I know I am behind on my blog and I feel an obligation to get it posted so I get up and start writing.  It takes about 2 hours to get it written, posted and the addition of pictures, but I now feel up to date. 

I crawl back into bed at 6 am and sleep until 8 am when both of us wake up.

 

If you are ever on a ship with the on demand tv try out the sleep channel and put on the sounds. It lasts just over 8 hours and the first half hour or so is sounds to help you relax and drift off to sleep.  Then after that it is sounds of waves hitting the shore.  I am loving it and it is so relaxing.

Now I just wish the ship sold a cd or electronic file of this so I could use it at home too.   Note the suites come with their own Sleep Kit which includes an eye mask, a scented bar that you put in the bottom of the shower that helps clear your nasal passage allowing you to sleep better.  It also includes a bottle of lavender scented spray for your linens, a luffa (I guess for the bath that they recommend prior to sleeping), a nail file, and lip balm (not sure what those have to do with sleep) and a pamphlet talking about how to have a restful sleep.

After a nice breakfast we are trying to decide what we are going to do today.  We anchor off Princess Cays only at 9 am.  It is very hot out.  The Patter says it will go as high as 29c 84f but it is definitely hotter than that, especially with no breeze and the humidity adds to it.  Walking outside feels like you are walking into a sauna. 

First thing is we go and sit in the Atrium and enjoy a coffee and watch the people.  They have just called that tenders are open and people are directed to the Island dining room on deck 5.  Right now there is a long queue of around 100 that are lined up outside the dining room door waiting to get tender tickets.  Yes 100 and that line barely dropped the entire time we sat there. 

Although I was impressed how Jace and Kelly handled the crowds.  They were always coming down the line informing people to make sure everyone was in your party was here, that you had towels, that you had your cruise card etc.  Since there are a lot of new cruisers here this is a good thing to let people know.

Take note that if you are elite and you have priority tendering you will still have to wait to get into the dining room, but once in you are placed on the next tender. 

I will say that the line did move very fast.  Princess Cays has huge tenders that operate from the shore side that hold a lot of passengers. 

As we sat there in the Atrium we chatted and we both agreed that we would rather just stay on board today for a few reasons.  We are not crazy about tendering.  The queues to get off are long I would hate to see the queues on shore for he return trip.  It is very very hot and the sun is strong and even though I would be lovely to be hanging at the beach we know that we probably could only handle at maximum two hours out in the sun. 

So instead we return to the cabin.  Slather on 30 sunscreen all over.  Done our bathing suits and head up to the Sun deck.  Trying to get pool towels is difficult, most are gone and we have to search a few racks to find some and end up finding some near the Lotus Spa.  The laundry works hard though at getting them refilled.

It is rather quiet, but still many did stay on.  But a lot are staying out of the sun and heat, including the poor servers who have to be out in it.  They thankfully can take shelter in the shade but I feel for them.  We get large glasses of ice – no water as the ice melts so fast.  

there is a tear off where you send in your response

We did receive our invitation to the Most Travelled Guest Party – apparently, we are number 12 and 13 out of the 40 Most Travelled on Board.  It will be a cocktail party on Wednesday.  Love the new invitation format.  The Captain Circle Party is Thursday in Club Fusion.  We spot Steve who was the Most Travelled Guest on the Royal for the first 30 days we were on board.  Also Ron (also refers to himself as the “Captain”) and his girlfriend are on board and he has a lot of sea days, way more than us.  We have 640 days currently.

We don’t last very long out in the sun before you HAVE to go cool off in the pool.  The pools are refreshing, a little cooler than the air temperature – which is a good thing as it would be bath water temperature if they were the same as the air.

I was talking with a couple in the pool and she had a bad sunburn in areas where she had missed from her day in Fort Lauderdale.  She was saying she did not have sunscreen and was trying to buy some but the shops were closed.  She had made appointments at the Lotus Spa today and the attendant there gave her her personal bottle of sunscreen to use.  The woman was so thankful!  Now isn’t this service that goes over and above!  The crew are so great.

We talked about going to the Sanctuary this cruise but we would need lounges in the shade and we both like to sit in the sun a bit but we could not handle the full sun for long.  Because of this we opted out of the Sanctuary as we could only handle it for very short periods at a time.

I have fallen in love with the Strongbow Apple Cider at home and love that the ship has it (do wish they had more than just the one flavour) and I get a can of it while I enjoy the sunshine. 

At noon the announcement comes that people no longer need tender tickets to go ashore – Wow.

After almost two hours we have had enough sun.  We actually got red in areas even with 30 sunscreen and we have a good tanned base from home!  So if you are sailing in the summer in the Caribbean make sure to bring sunscreen and be careful in the sun.  Oh and when the people start filing back on board from the beach there are a LOT of red lobsters!  Tomorrow’s formal night could be painful for some.

For lunch we head to the World Fresh Marketplace (this ship’s version of the Horizon Court). We really like the layout.  I will post some pictures of it later.  We grab some salad and head after (to what we use to call the Café Caribe but is now the restaurant called Planks – right now it is not open for service but you can sit here and it is much quieter.

Bernie comes back with a small bag of cheezies! Wow I haven’t had these since I was very little.  They also have small bags of chips too.  Lots of neat new items here.  I look forward to exploring it more and will post more too. 

One thing they have in the beverage area is a wine and beer dispenser that you can swipe your card and server yourself.  Hmmm not sure about this – guess it is a good concept for when the restaurant is closed but I wonder do I have to pay gratuity here too when I have to serve myself?

We head down to the International Café and sit and enjoy an iced tea and watch people coming back on board.  The tenders are full and it must be hot if you are exposed on the upper decks.

A woman approaches and introduces herself – Karen who has been following my blog for a long time sits and chats.  It is so lovely to meet and get to know others who are also passionate about travel and cruising. So great and hope to sit down and chat some more with here later in the voyage.

Back in the cabin we start watching a movie and within an hour we both are asleep and sleep for 2 hours.

We shower and dress for dinner and head up to Skywalkers for a drink around 6:30.  Love this venue and it is a great spot to sit and reflect on the day.  The staff here are very attentive and the food layout today is minimal at 6:30 but there are still veggies for us to munch on.  Oh I should add that we got the invite for the Platinum Elite Lounge but inside it was totally blank – here is a picture.

Dinner is the Coral Dining room in the Club Class section. As many of know we rarely ever dine in the dining room but since we have Club Class this trip we thought we should try it out.  We are sat at a table right away and our server Fernando and his assistant Grace take very good care of us. 

The head waiter comes by (sorry can’t recall his name) and introduces himself to us. He is very helpful and attentive.

In Club Class you get an extra entre (tonight it is poached salmon) and a special pasta (tonight it is ravioli). 

Food tonight was the standard and I did enjoy it but I still have not been won over by the dining room and still prefer the buffet selection.  Mainly because I prefer vegetarian options and the menu in the dining room is minimal.  

Although the head waiter would of course accommodate any of our request I would not ask.

We did enjoy a lovely bottle of Pacific Bay wine – and stored the rest of the wine for another night.

Tonight Miguel Washington the comedian is performing and we do enjoy his show but we have seen it many times, especially recently so we are going to pass. His shows are at 7:30 and 9:30.

Instead we got back to the cabin and change and we head up to the top deck and walk.  It is still warm out but the breeze is a life saver and helps keep things cool.

Bernie grabs an ice cream and we enjoy the people watching.  There are many watching the movie on MUTS (Black Panther) and there are quite a few people in the forward pool – a lot of families really enjoying it.  But so far I have found the kids to be very well behaved.  Sure there are some that could use a bit of supervision but there are also many adults that could use some supervision.

Favorite comment we overheard today:  Young boy saying to his Dad “if I go to bed early can I get up early”. The kids are really looking like they are having a fun time!

We are back in the cabin around 11 pm and we finish watching the movie and a bit of the wake show and we turn on the sleep sounds and we drift off to sleep with a slight rocking of the ship.  Oh we are in heaven.

Some observations today:

• There are some chair hogs out but not too bad, but many went ashore so we will see how it is on the sea day.

• Great music throughout the ship – really enjoyed the Dixieland Jazz with the Princess House Band in the Atrium.  Paul we saw the drum player that you know but did not get a chance to say hi – yet!
• Majority Rules Game Show is still the same idea but the stage set up and decorations are so professional looking – sadly I did not have my camera but will try and get a picture next voyage.
• We have notice a lot more garbage/glasses/plates left all over the ship.  Places like elevators, by the pool, by a plant.  Not sure why this is.  Could be because of the passenger make up (adults and kids do this) or is there not enough housekeeping to handle the added messes left behind.

• It is Shark Week (more like Shark Month) – there is a guest lecturer on board talking all about sharks!
• Internet has been quite good – a few times I have to reconnect to the server but it seems fast and sadly no it is not unlimited like on the Regal.
• We love Vines normally but we really don’t care for the sitting area of Vines on this ship. It has high barrel type tables with stools for sitting at and a few benches by the window.  Neither are very comfortable and we have therefore not spent long periods of time here.  I personally would recommend that they change out the seating here for nice tables and chairs.  We would stay longer and drink more.  Also miss the full bar at Vines, this ship’s Vines has only wine; however the Atrium Bar is not far away, because sometimes we want something different than wine – I know CRAZY.
• Passenger Service’s Desk is very busy but they are so professional.  They have had to deal with a lot of passengers who have big issues (like lost luggage – apparently there are many cabins that don’t have luggage) and the crew at the desk handle each issue very professionally.
• I was able to call the Dine line and trade off our mini bar items rather quickly today and the items were changed out around 4 hours later.  Still wish we could personalize our mini bar on line prior to boarding so it would save us from calling and save the crew from having to come and change it out.
• Laundry took very little time and we got it back the next day.

Princess Cays

I slept so well last night.  A very deep sleep too.  One thing we tried is the Sleep Channel on the tv.  On the Royal there is a channel dedicated to sleep and they have a soundtrack of soothing sounds that is over 10 hours long.  Sort of sounds like you are in a spa and it helps you relax.  It was very calming.  I might look for something like that for home.

Here is Princess' site on the Sleep Experience on board click here.

Since we are now in an inside cabin we are not sure what the weather is like and if we will make it into Princess Cays.  But we do have the bridge cam and when we turn it on we see that it is a lovely day and we know we will make it ashore. 

This is exciting as the last two voyages we could not make it in to Princess Cays or Grand Turk.  This is in fact the first time the Royal has been able to visit Princess Cays this year.

We get our room service – note I have been writing in a bagel with cream cheese and have been getting it but you can not order thru the Princess@sea app as it has nowhere to add information you may want. 

We lather on the sun screen and bathing suits and meet Roy and Sandra in the Atrium.  Symphony Dining Room is the place to get tender tickets.  If you are elite you still go to the dining room and you are put on the next tender.  This worked very well as other times we have been told just to go down to the tender and we have often received dirty looks and comments when others think we are butting in.  

The way the Royal conducted it was very well run and received.

The tender we got on is one from shore and there are two of them and they are huge. And we really liked that we could sit outside.  They were also easy to get in and out of.  

It is so nice to be back in Princess Cays.  As soon as we arrive we are seeing some changes.  It has been two years since we were last here and the island looks great.

We walk along the sidewalk towards the cabanas and grab two lounge chairs that face the water.  There are a lot of lounge chairs throughout and many are in the shade of the numerous palm trees. Note you can see some damage from the hurricane in the foliage.

It is very warm out, sorry don’t know the temperatures but it was HOT and very few clouds. The water was cool when you first went in (which is normal here) but you quickly adapt to the water temperature.

Bernie and I snorkel and there were numerous fish and the water was very clear today.  We especially enjoyed snorkeling between the pier lookout and the stairs where there is a shallow coral bed with lots of activity.  Sorry no pictures as our underwater camera bit the dust last cruise.

At one point I was floating in the water with my ring float and Bernie ordered me a rum punch and the waiter delivered it right to me at the shore line!  I just floated over and picked it up and enjoyed it while I floated.  Now that is service.

There is a lot of activities to do ashore here or do absolutely nothing.  

My recommendation is to bring your own snorkel gear if you can.  Lots of sunscreen and reapply numerous times.  We had 30 SPF and applied it four times during the day and we didn’t burn but we did get quite a bit of color. There were quite a few on board that did get sunburns.  Bring along a hat and sunglasses too.  Some people brought water shoes too as it can be a bit rocky when going in the water. 

We did not have any and we managed but we just enter the water in the sandy spot and then swam over the rocks.  

For lunch we ended up going to the hot dog cart that was right near us.  The guy there was very helpful and eager to make a great dog.  However we noticed that no one else went to the hot dog cart.  I would recommend that they have better signage for people walking by to identify that it is a hot dog cart and also the guy serving could be promoting it a bit better.

We ended up packing up around 2 pm (last tender was 3:15).  There is a new building for queuing up for the tenders that allows a lot of people to take shelter from the sun.  There are ceiling fans and even misting stations to keep people cool.  Here they also had the security screening machines so you don’t have to do it when you get back to the ship.  The whole process was very fluid and I was quite impressed with the changes.

Note because the waters were calm they could load and unload tenders quickly and the ride was quick and easy.  If the seas are rougher and loading and unloading take longer for safety reasons then the queue could be very long. Patience is needed.

When we arrive back at the ship it is easy to get off these large tenders and onto the ship’s platform.  We are pinged back on the ship and the security staff say “welcome back”.   There was a crew member there to collect the dirty towels – he was saying “let us wash your dirty beach towels”.  The staff really make us feel welcomed. 

Our first stop is the coffee bar on deck 5 for a pomegranate cooler drink (that is one punch on the coffee card) and I get some watermelon salad.

Back in the cabin we shower and I started to write the blog but my eyes were having trouble staying open and soon we were both asleep for a necessary nap I guess.

Princess Cays – Surprise Sea Day

This morning we wake well rested.  I have been having trouble sleeping lately and last night was a well-earned sleep.

People have been asking me about my ankle.  Well I am happy to report it is doing very well.  Since I just got the air cast off two weeks ago. 

Initially it was not very strong after not really needing to use the muscles around the ankle much.  On the last cruise I tried to be good and suffered when I walked too much.  But as the cruise went along and I would swim and use the Enclave to exercise my foot it got stronger and stronger.  

I know I am doing better when I can now overtake people along the Promenade when just a short while ago people were overtaking me.  

Yesterday I logged over 15,000 steps and it was a little sore and swollen but feeling good.  I also can take the stairs more now without doing the hoppedy hop step.  I look forward to getting back to a normal life – but not too soon, I want to enjoy the vacation first.  Thanks to all who wrote kinds supportive messages, I really appreciate it.

The sun is streaming into the cabin.  There are a few clouds in the sky but they don’t look menacing.  Bernie comments that it looks a bit choppy with swells as we get closer and closer to Princess Cays.  He wonders if we will get to Princess Cays after all.

Well of course soon thereafter Captain Nash announces that they are assessing the situation to see if it is safe to operate the tenders.  About 10 minutes later the announcement comes on in the cabins that in fact the Captain and the Bridge Officers (trust me they do not make this decision lightly) have made the decision to cancel the stop in Princess Cays.  The swells are too high (1.5 meters) and keeping the ship in position and the loading and unloading of tenders in those conditions is just not safe.

 

I know there are many on board, and probably at home being arm chair Captains (with their “knowledge” or so called “knowledge”) but until you are as experienced and actually hold the responsibility of everyone on this ship you have no right to say anything.   Although I would of loved to have gone ashore at Princess Cays, I will still have a great day on board.

Also I am pretty sure that most on board respect the decision and will still have a great day.

We are still trying to get our mini bar changed out. It is impossible to get thru to bell box.  We have been on hold for 15 minutes two times before just hanging up.  I may ultimately just get our cabin steward to arrange it.  And later we leave a note for the steward and he takes care of switching out the mini bar.

One thing I again noticed in this new cabin is the shower curtain desperately needs changing.  I really notice the smell of mold as soon as I would go in the washroom I could smell it and I could not handle the smell for long.  My sinuses immediately start to flare up.  It was so bad that I had to take the shower curtain down and put in a bag to contain the smell.  

Ironically my husband does not smell a thing, but that sometimes happens, he smells things I don’t and I smell things he does not.  But mold is my thing and my allergies kick in and the last thing I want is to have to deal with an attack that usually takes days to settle down.  Our previous cabin also had an issue but it was nowhere near as bad and could manage it.  I don’t know how often they change out the shower curtains and wash them but it clearly is not often enough. 

We keep busy all day playing games – Suduko, came in second, music trivia – didn’t suck but didn’t win, lunch was in the horizon court.  Captain made a joke that there are a lot of hamburgers to eat up since stop in Princess Cays was cancelled. 

A new revised Patter is delivered to the cabins, but one thing with the Princess at Sea you can see an updated events schedule right away.

Back in the cabin after dinner and the cabin steward has taken care of everything.  He is good. 

Tonight we shower and change and then head to the Elite lounge – but it is busy.  There are definitely more seasoned cruisers on this voyage.

For dinner Bernie suggests Ocean Terrace and I agree.  We sit at the Bar and enjoy the lobster, tuna poke, and some sushi.  A very good meal and at a reasonable price.

Lots happening tonight and we partake in the Yes No Game Show.  Well I signed up, Bernie watched.  And I lasted this time!  Kimmy and Nathalie do a great job hosting this event.

After the game we make our way to the Princess Theater for Alfred and Seymour who are a comedy duo.  Their show is fast paced, funny and high energy – we liked it.

Princess Cays January 28, 2016

My oh my why can’t I sleep thru the night. Like most nights I am awake at the wee hours.  As I wander around the cabin trying to make as little noise as possible I attempt to read until I am ready to fall back asleep.  So after an hour and a half of reading I am back asleep around 4:30 am. 

At least today is a later arrival to Princess Cays (9 am) and it will be a restful day on the beach too.

We both wake for the day around 8:30 am and I am groggy and just tired.  I tell Bernie just to head up to Horizon Court and get his breakfast and not worry about me.  I relax in the cabin for quite a while and hear the tenders dropping getting ready to take everyone ashore.

It is a bit overcast but still quite warm.  Looks pretty good with regards to wind and it appears the Captain has positioned the ship in just the right spot to use the ship to assist with safer tender operation.

By the time Bernie comes back from breakfast and we are in bathing suits and lathered with sunscreen we head to the pontoon around 11 am.  Which ended up being a very good time as they just made the announcement that there are no waits.  

Being elite we get priority tendering but we are not sure if we go to the dining room and get right on the next tender or do we head to the pontoon.  We no longer get the elite letter at the beginning of each cruise so we don’t know what the procedure is here.  But history warrants that we ask.  So as soon as we head down the stairs at deck five a purser staff is there and we ask and they tell us to just join this parade of people to the tender boat that is heading forward. 

The ride over is a bit longer than what I remember because of a few swells.  Nothing horrible but we all manage. 

Once ashore we agree to head to the right side this time.  

Normally we always head to the left side and head down to where the bungalows are.  This time we cross over the bridge and past the grill.  There are now some food carts over on this side.  This is brand new this season.

hot dog cart

Bar cart in the Taco Cart

Jerk Chicken Cart

Wraps

There is a taco truck, a wrap truck, jerk chicken truck and a hot dog truck.  Also a bar truck is there too.  This is a great idea!  Easy to see, no lines, and great variety. 

Taco Chart - but no signs identifying it as the Taco Cart

Although the bar truck is set up in the taco truck as it has signs all around it saying it is a taco truck.  The actual taco truck has no real identifiers of what it is or what the menu is.  I believe this is going to be corrected though for the future.  The staff who service each truck have colorful t shirts with the name of their truck on it.  Great concept, worked great today, hope to see it spread out to the other side too.

We both ate at the carts today.  I started with an Italian Hot Dog which was loaded with onions/peppers, pepperoni, a tomato sauce, cheese and probably more.  It was very good, hot and messy - but a nice alternative.  Bernie had a fish taco and he loved it, said it was very spicy and the fish piece was huge.  We both went and got a wrap at this point, they are not very big and I found my BLT wrap to be rather dry and bland with very little sauce in it (but maybe there was not suppose to be any sauce), Bernie didn’t care for his either.  The wraps are very small so they could be a nice snack.  Bernie got a piece of jerk chicken with rice and he really enjoyed it he said.  They still had the grill lines too with hamburgers, chicken, and salads and of course dessert which consisted of cookies and banana bread. 

We make our way to the beach and grab two chairs and we are happy cruisers.  Bernie does go in snorkeling two times and he really enjoyed it.  It is being affected a bit by the high winds as it is making visibility a little poorer than normal.

For me I am happy just reading.  The wind is great because it doesn’t feel too hot then, but be warned the sun is still strong so keep lathering on the sunscreen. 

My eyes are so heavy… I end up napping in the lounge chair - I am sure it was not a pretty sight but a necessary one. 

Around 2 pm (last tender was at 3) we gathered our items and started to make our way back to the tender pier.  The line was very long as we walked to the end of it. Yes of course people in it were grumbling but I have to say I was quite impressed at how quickly it moved.  We were on a tender within ten minutes.  I especially liked that the staff were handing out cold face cloths to us in the line and cups of water.  The waiter handing out the cups of water was joking around by saying “free water, find the hidden treasure in one of the glasses, who will get the little frog”.  Had us all smiling and puts people in a better mood.

Once on the tender I chatted with a lovely couple from Montreal to pass the time.  The wind has cause a bit more of a bumpy ride.  I have no issues at all with the motion but you could see many were suffering.  So if you suffer from motion sickness I highly recommend you take something prior to heading ashore or just stay on.

 

One poor woman was doing all she could to not throw up - I handed her my towel just in case. 

Once along side the ship we were quick to get off but we are bouncing up and down and it is banging beside the ship.  It can be very very dangerous and in fact when I step onto the ship about two people behind me the process stops as something crashes behind me and a loud noise scares the crap out of me and others around us.  Not exactly sure what happened but the tender pulled away from the ship right then with many still on. 

I have to commend all the crew who worked the tender operation during this time.  They were very professional ensuring everyone got on and off safety.

Back on board we do our ritual of rinsing off all the snorkel gear, washing bathing suits and then showering for Bernie and a long hot bath for me.  Have to say I love this bath!

We decide to watch the movie the Martian as it has just come up on the tv on demand and we have both been waiting to catch it.  But it is a long movie and we are both tired, but neither of us can nap that well and we need to get ready early tonight to do the things we hoped to do.

Dressed casually we head up to the Horizon Court for dinner.  Tonight they are doing the Fondue meal in one portion of the Horizon Court.  This is a great meal to try if you haven’t tried it.  For only $20 it is a great value.  We did it last year and really enjoyed it.  But it is not very busy there tonight.  Many don’t know about it and holding it on the last night doesn’t help in attendance either.

It is busy up here - first it is only 6 pm and many people who do early seating (which I would say is most on this ship) are up here because of the last night. 

I am excited to try the Asian Soup Bowl feature.  I have seen it a few times on various ships but have never had it.  So I place my order, requesting my meat, broth, vegetables and flavouring with the crew member there.  I take the paper they hand me and place it on the table where I am eating. 

After over 15 minutes with no one picking up my paper - mind you it was crazy busy up here today and staff are run off their feet -- I take my paper myself to the station and see my blow of soup sitting there.  I just grab it and take it back to my table. 

It was very very good - not too hot because it has been sitting for a while but very good.  I highly recommend this as an option.

Of course they still had a large buffet line of many different food options and of course probably the best salad bar I have ever seen on Princess.  Plus their cheese station here is wonderful with so many options of cheese, dried fruit, crackers, and breads. 

Have to comment (and will say this on the survey too) the cheese plate in the dining room has gone downhill fast in the past few years.  On board now if you order the cheese plate for dessert -- which I love to do to finish off my wine -- you get only three pieces of cheese and only two varieties.  Sometimes you get some dried fruit, sometimes you don’t.  Usually there is a piece of walnut bread too.  

The cheese is very cold too where before it was served room temperature.  But the entire plate looks sad and wish it was better so I could enjoy that as my dessert.  So if you like cheese plates I would recommend getting your own at the Horizon Court.

Right after dinner we head down to Concerto dining room to get the rest of our wine so we can enjoy it during the show.  Yes The Voice of the Ocean is tonight.  However tonight the show is at 7:30 -- much earlier than last sailing’s 10:30 time.  I much prefer the later time as 7:30 is very early.  But last sailing it was held on the second to last night, and this sailing it is on the last night.  Again much prefer it on the second to last night.

We take our seats up front about a half hour prior to the show.  The place is packed with only limited seats on the sides, which is hard to get to with no side access. 

Tonight show has HGM, Michael Prasse, singer Rebecca and comedian Steve as judges.  It is fun to watch them play off each other in those big seats.  Also tonight there are six singers (last time I believe there were 8).  Preferred tonight’s smaller group as it was finished within an hour. 

Now if only I could of gotten the couple behind us to shut up!  They were an older couple who basically talked thru the whole thing!  Then she sent him out to get a voting device just prior to the time when it came to vote.  REALLY…. I bit my tongue but I so wanted to turn around and say “are you ever going to shut up”.

Congratulations Brian in winning the Voice of the Ocean.

After the show we met up with Lisa Ball and the new Cruise Director Marahscalh Stanton who takes over for Lisa on turn around.  We have drinks together in Vines and it is lovely to spend some time with Lisa and it is great to get to know Marahscalh some more.  We have sailed with him before but he was Deputy CD then and he has been Cruise Director now for awhile.  We sailed with him as CD back in May of 2010 on the Golden.

  

It was nice to get to know him and his background, I personally just loved his spirit and you can see how much he truly loves his job.  His last ship was the Pacific and this is first time on the Royal so it is a big change but he is very excited about it and I know he will shine.

After drinks we make our way back to the cabin.  We still have not received our in transit information.  Last cruise we got it the day prior.  A letter, our cards, and the in transit documents.  I know I saw the envelopes for others in their slots but we had not received anything.

So back down to the Purser’s desk to find out what is happening.  A long queue is there, of course.  But thankfully we can enter the elite line. 

Note for those reading this - I would say that 75% of those in the line have issues that could have been dealt with more easily prior to the last night or with more knowledge of what will happen on the cruise.  So because you are reading this blog, or you follow my facebook page you are more aware of what to expect on board.

What are those issues you might ask? 

• What is the hotel gratuity charge?  A good agent or reading your pre cruise information would of provided you with the info about the daily hotel gratuity charge.  Also it shows up each day on your folio so ask prior to the last night.  Also don’t remove the tips, it is part of the cost of cruising.

• An issue with a charge on their statement from a few days ago.  It is so easy to check your folio regularly.  You can print it out at the Purser’s desk.  You can print it out from the many machines located usually near the Purser’s desk where you just swipe your card and an itemized statement prints out.  But I highly recommend checking the Princess At Sea daily to check for any discrepancies.

• Disembarkation questions. These can easily be answered by reading the four page pamphlet that is sent to your cabin with your luggage tags.  Remember you fill in the time you wish to get off at much earlier in the voyage, your disembarkation time is reflected based on what you requested.  

• If you have an issue with the time they assigned you there is usually a time/desk set up on the last day for you to be able to enquire about changing.  Don’t wait till 11 pm the last night.

I would say those are the most common questions that I have heard about.

So back to not getting in transit information.  We head down and right away they print out our new cards.  We ask if we can also get our in transit cards to use when going ashore, he returns and gives us this.  Then sorry, but what time is the in transit meet time and where… 10:30 Princess Theater.  Since I know there are well over 600 in transits we are heading ashore just prior to that meet time.

One thing I notice is that our folio numbers have changed.  Usually we keep the same number but I am sure they will just carry over the old bill to the new account as usual.  I just hope our wine card that shows our old folio will not have an issue with this new one.  But again, by checking your on board account regularly we will be able to spot and issue as soon as it comes up.

Back in the cabin we reset our alarm clock to reflect the hour we gain tonight and we settle in to watch the rest of the movie -- The Martian.   It was okay but I am glad I didn’t have to pay for it.

Once again around 4 am I am wide awake and take the time to write up my blog and post it. 

Room service is set to arrive at 7 am - note because we are in transit we are able to get breakfast delivered to the cabin.  Note:  this is not always the case so just check, but I have found on our last Mediterranean cruise and past 10 day back to backs we have been able to get room service on turn around day.  But if it is not offered I don’t push it, they are already crazy busy as it is.