Taryn Travels

Category: Uncategorized

• Carnival Venezia, Day 6 – Half Moon Cay!

  Posted at 10:13 am by taryngirl, on January 11, 2024

  10/19/23

  

  

  Half Moon Cay is a private island exclusively for Carnival and Princess Cruise Line guests. I was excited for a true beach day!

  There is no dock at Halfmoon Cay, so we had to take a tender boat in order to get to the island.  To get a boarding time for the tender (so there isn’t a stampede of people), they distributed the tickets for the tender beginning at 7:30 a.m. on deck 5 in the Gondola Lounge.  It was first come first served.  We got there at 7:30 a.m. and were group #16 to board.  So YES!  People do go early and line up!  She estimated our call time to board the tender to be 9:30 a.m.  You have to listen for them to call your group number on the PA system.  This does not broadcast into staterooms though, so you need to be in a common area outside of your room to hear it.  We figured we had two hours, so we went to breakfast at the Grand Canal Restaurant.

  

  

  

  

  

  I ordered the Seasonal Melon, which was just your basic melon but still good! I consider any fruit good when I don’t have to cut it!

  

  And the Vanilla French Toast with Bacon.

  

  This was delicious!!

  We finished breakfast and decided to go back to our stateroom and fully charge our phones, and get cold water to bring ashore with us.  To our surprise, they called our boarding number just before 8:45 a.m. and not 9:30 a.m.  We made our way to Deck 0.  There were several crew members directing us where to go along the way.  They were loading 2 tenders, one midship and one forward.  Each tender seemed to hold a few hundred people.  We were packed in!

  

  

  You can see on this map where the tender pier is located at the bottom.

  

  

  

  

  

  We were on the island at 9:00 a.m.  We did load towards the end of filling this particular tender though so didn’t have to wait very long until we left.  Once we were off the tender, we decided to walk towards the middle of the beach, closer to where lunch would be served. We found a spot right in front of the pirate ship bar.

  

  

  

  The water was the clearest I have ever seen! Look at the fish!

  

  To our right:

  

  To our left:

  

  There were 3 rows of chairs, and they were tightly packed in together.  Most of the chairs were already taken up to this point on the beach.  We decided to go in the third row, and we were thankful for this later!  The beach area from the chairs to the water was actually very small!  When the tide started coming in, the first row of chairs were kind of wiped out and stuck.  They couldn’t pull their chairs back at all because there was another row directly behind them!  After awhile, they started bringing out more chairs and just jamming them into any open space they could find.  This is possibly my only complaint about the entire cruise! It was CROWDED on the beach. The beach was very small from the sand to the water line. And people gave no cares at all if they were crowding others as long as they had their own spot.

  This view though!

  

  I went to check out the water, and IT WAS THE CLEAREST WATER I HAD EVER SEEN AT A BEACH!  I could see my feet no matter how far out I went.  The water was very calm and there weren’t really any waves at all.  It was slightly overcast when we arrived, and it did sprinkle the slightest bit.  This in turn produced a rainbow!

  

  You could rent these houses.

  

  I also want to point out that there really isn’t any natural shade.  While the chairs were free, if you wanted an umbrella, you had to rent it.  There were several options for renting clam shells and cabanas as well.                      

  More crowd pics! This was at 10:30 a.m.

  

  

  The water was amazing, and we spent a lot of time in versus sitting out on the crowded beach.  They served lunch from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. There was a larger pavilion with several lines serving food.  There were also several pavilions with picnic tables to sit and eat. 

  

  (One note here, everyone was lining up in one line. However, there are several lines right in the middle as well.)

  

  

  

  I could not get pictures of the actual hot food as it was a mad house! The lines were crazy and I felt pressured to keep moving!

  This was by far my least favorite meal the entire trip. It just wasn’t good at all. The first plate was my friend’s.

  

  My plate:

  

  The chips and salsa were the best part…

  Here you can see some of the seating areas:

  

  Drink stations:

  

  All aboard time was 3:30 p.m. with the last tender going back at 3:15 p.m.  We headed back around 2:00 p.m.

  My favorite photo taken while walking back to the tender!

  

  There are some little shops right at the tender area.

  

  Once back onboard, I went up to the buffet to grab a snack since I didn’t really eat much for lunch on the island.

  

  (Random I know. Ha!)

  Don’t even ask what cake this is, I have no clue. But it was so moist and delicious!

  

  We just chilled for awhile, napped and then showered for dinner. This was our towel animal for the day:

  

  Tonight’s menu:

  

  

  

  For my appetizer I had Wild Rice, Gruyere and Country Chicken Soup.

  

  This was AMAZING!

  Chrissy had the Baked Onion Soup.

  

  Insalata Caprese:

  

  For my main, I had the Lasagne Alla Bolognese. 

  

  This was good! Very rich.

  Involtini Di Melanzane (eggplant rolled up and baked with ricotta and spinach, marinara sauce):

  

  BBQ Pork Spareribs (southern baked beans, creamed corn, steak fries):

  

  Torta Sbriciolata Alle Mele E Mandorle (apple crumble pie, orange peel confit, brown butter, almonds):

  

  This was very good!

  Tonight’s theme was Halloween. Some people wore costumes, some did not. After dinner, we checked out the Piazza San Marco. There was live music going on. They were really good!

  At 9:30 p.m., we went to the Teatro Rosso to watch Guess that Groove. This was fun! After that it was time for Patch’s Halloween Deck Party at 10:30 p.m.

  The Halloween party was fun! There was a costume contest for different age groups from baby all the way up to adults. They taught the Thriller dance, and the DJ played some tunes.

  All in all it was a fun day!

  SUGGESTIONS FOR HALF MOON CAY:

  • Get the earliest tender transfer time that you can.
  • Once on the island, keep walking until at least the big pirate ship for chairs. 
  • Do not get a chair in the front row.  The tide came in and was wiping those people out and they had nowhere to go!  They couldn’t pull their chairs back because there was a row directly behind them.
  • Don’t count on the food being very good. Eat a good breakfast onboard before getting on the tender.
  Posted in Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Venezia, Half Moon Cay, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Carnival, Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Venezia, Cruise, Half Moon Cay

• Carnival Venezia – Day 5, Nassau!

  Posted at 11:05 am by taryngirl, on November 29, 2023

  10/18/23

  Nassau

  We had no real plan today, except to get off of the ship and check out the new port area.  We grabbed breakfast at 9:30 a.m. at the buffet, and were off the ship by 9:50 a.m.

  

  There were four ships in port total…that’s a lot of passengers in one port!  We were parked next to the Disney Wish and the Carnival Elation.  The was also a Royal Caribbean ship in port. 

  

  

  

  Nassau is one of the most popular cruise destinations in the world, attracting more than 3.7 million passengers each year.  Nassau Cruise Port has recently undergone over $300 million in upgrades and renovations.  This includes repair and expansion of Prince George Wharf and the addition of a sixth berth that gives the port the capacity to accommodate three Oasis Class vessels simultaneously.  There is also a new terminal building, a Junkanoo museum, an amphitheatre, taxi dispatch center, new food and beverage options, and unique local stores.  The straw market as you once knew it is no longer!

  THE NEW PORT IS AMAZING!  Everything is spacious, clean, and welcoming without the craziness.  There is a separate taxi and tour area, so you don’t feel like you are being hounded by multiple people.  It’s organized.  The straw market is now individual tiny houses in an open area.  There is a huge hair braiding section right in the middle.  There are also bathrooms.  Besides the smaller straw market stores, there are bigger, more upscale stores as well. 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  After walking through the port area, we decided to venture out of the gates to a store on the corner.  It was complete chaos with taxi drivers and tour operators trying to gain our business.  They actually had two cops??? out directing traffic so we could cross the street. 

  This is on the way out of the gates of the port area:

  

  We just went into one store across the street and then headed back to the ship. On the way back, Chrissy decided to get her hair braided.

  

  There were so many hair braiding stations!

  

  We were back on the ship before 11:00 a.m.  This was our towel animal today!

  

  After going back to the room and changing, I went up to deck 10 to find a chair by the pool.  I wanted to get some sun, relax, and then enjoy sail away.  I ate lunch at the buffet with these beautiful sights! 

  

  I literally sat right here on this chair and ate my lunch…

  

  These were the two different menus offered at the buffet during lunch:

  

  

  Here are some videos of one of the buffet lines:

  And then here is a video of the other buffet line offerings:

  

  

  These were the many fabulous desserts they had today at lunch:

  

  

  

  

  

  

  It was hard to pick just one! This is for sure one area where Carnival excels!

  We started sailing away close to 4:30 p.m.  We were the first of the four ships to leave. 

  

  Here you can see Atlantis in the distance.

  

  

  I went back to the room to nap and shower before dinner.

  Tonight’s menu:

  

  

  

  I had the Buffalo Cauliflower (creamy truffle sauce). It was DELICIOUS!

  

  Polpette (meatballs, ricotta, tomato basil):

  

  This meatball was AMAZING and I wish I had more!

  I opted again for the Broiled Striploin Steak.

  

  But I was realllllly hungry for a baked potato as well, and asked for one of those too!

  

  For dessert I had the reliable old Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake.

  

  After dinner, we went to the show in the theater.  It was called Broadway.  It was a very good, entertaining show!

  

  After the broadway show, we went up to the Lido deck for the 80s Rock N Glow Party.  It was SO MUCH FUN!  The crowd on this ship was the best!

  

  Overall, today was amazing! The port area was neat, the time on the ship was relaxing, and the show and party were SO GOOD!

  Up next…Half Moon Cay!

  Posted in Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Venezia, Cruise, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Carnival, Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Venezia, Cruise, Nassau

• Carnival Venezia – Day 4, Miami!

  Posted at 3:29 pm by taryngirl, on November 14, 2023

  10/17/23

  Day 4

  Miami

  Fun Times for Today:

  

  

  

  Today was our Miami day! We woke up on the early side so we could grab breakfast before getting off of the ship. We really wanted to try the burrito place on the Lido Deck!

  I didn’t get a photo of the menu, but you could pick from different meats, potatoes, eggs, etc.

  

  Mine had ham, eggs, cheese, and hash browns.

  

  It was good but not outstanding. I like that this option was available in addition to the crazy busy buffet.

  Our approximate ashore time was 8:15 a.m. We had scheduled the Hop On/Hop Off Big Bus excursion through Carnival, and that meet time was 9:00 a.m. just outside the terminal. I had looked into booking this excursion through Viator, but the convenience of having the bus picking us up directly at the terminal and dropping us there after was a much better value! I didn’t want to have to mess with Ubers. This is how close the buses were to the terminal.

  

  We debarked and headed to the bus right after breakfast. (Our bus was full before 9:00 a.m. so we left right when it was full!). There were buses lined up, so there must have been many people who booked this tour. They took our tickets and we boarded. Inside the bus there were headphones we could take. You can plug them into your seat and hear some commentary while driving the route.

  

  We got seats on the first bus, up top. It was a gorgeous day. Chilly for Floridians, but perfect for me! 60 some degrees. It was perfect until we started driving. Then it was FREEZING and windy! I brought my light jacket and was able to put that on but I was still chilly.

  

  Before we pulled away, the tour operator came up top and gave us instructions. He explained the route, the app, the times to be back at the bus stop to return to the ship, etc. We decided there were three stops where we wanted to get off.

  This is what the app looks like. You can see live where buses are and where the stops are. It also gives you a wait time.

  

  Our first stop was going to be South Beach, and that was for sure one stop that we wanted to explore. The sights along the way were very cool!

  

  The architecture was amazing!

  

  Where Miami Heat plays:

  

  

  SO MANY YACHTS!

  

  IT WAS WINDY!

  We drove past our ship!

  

  This is Star Island. Star Island is a neighborhood in Miami, located on Biscayne Bay. It has been touted as the most expensive neighborhood in the US. Many of the homes on this island are/were owned by high profile celebrities including Sean Combs, Gloria Estefan, Shaq, and Rosie O’Donnell.

  

  This is the entrance.

  

  I couldn’t help but notice this unique house. I had to google when I got home to see what it was all about! It actually is a green-energy, luxury houseboat!

  

  We made it to the first stop at 9:20ish. You did not have to get off if you didn’t want to. Most people did not. I’m assuming because they had no idea what was going on, and were confused by what the guide instructed us earlier. He made it sound like we should stay on for the entire loop and then go back around and get off. We didn’t have time for that!

  Art Deco district in Miami Beach:

  

  There was absolutely no one on Ocean Drive, unless they were sitting and eating breakfast. No cars! And no mobs of people either on the beach or walking.

  There were so many cute, boutique hotels on Ocean Drive!

  

  

  I would really love to see this at night sometime!

  

  

  Between Ocean Drive and the actual beach, there were a bunch of volleyball courts, an actual fitness area with machines and weights, and a large walking path.

  

  

  I really wanted to just set foot on the actual beach. It was empty! It was only about 9:45 a.m. at this point, and still slightly chilly according to Florida standards. We didn’t walk to the water.

  

  We went back out to Ocean Drive, because the only other thing I wanted to see here was the Gianni Versace house, which is now a hotel. It actually seemed like they were renovating it. There were workers all over the place! I am a true crime addict, and had seen the documentary about his murder. It happened right on the steps at his front door. Such a senseless tragedy.

  

  

  We walked back to the bus stop to reboard the hop on/hop off bus, and get to our next stop. Some more views along the way:

  

  The architecture is just AMAZING!

  

  We drove through the Fashion District.

  

  Our next stop was Wynwood! The art throughout this city is just unbelievable. Wynwood is known for its murals and art, restaurants, nightclubs, breweries and more! We spent some time walking up and down the streets here.

  

  This is just SOME of what we saw!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Each mural was totally different. Most of them had information about the artist somewhere on the wall.

  We went back to the bus stop, and waited about 15 minutes for the bus to come. It was getting noticeably more crowded at this point. There was a line for the bus and the bus had many people on it already when it pulled up.

  Our next stop was Little Havana. I had stopped here before and loved this little section of the town. The bus stop here was right in front of a bakery. I hopped in immediately to check it out.
  LOVEEEEEE! I knew this is where I wanted to eat!

  

  This reminded me so much of France in Epcot!

  

  

  I did a quick browse, and we headed on down the street to check out everything else.

  

  There were several tour groups from other cruise ships with an actual tour guide. The area around the bus was consistently crowded with those arriving and those trying to get back on. There were several shops and restaurants on this little strip.

  

  I love this little park where they still come to play dominos!

  

  

  This sign is not wrong…

  

  My friend Chrissy reallllly wanted a Cuban and a mojito! So this was her lunch:

  

  I walked back to the bakery, and this was my AMAZING lunch:

  

  Crossaint with ham and cheese, and whatever that fabulous dessert was! I actually couldn’t decided on a dessert. There were too many that looked good!

  Chrissy also got this dessert:

  

  It was all so delicious!

  After eating, we got in line to get on the next bus. We were done with our stops and heading back to the ship. To do so though, we had to take a bus to Bayside Marketplace and then get on another bus there to bring us back to the ship.

  

  Bayside Marketplace has several restaurants and many shops! It’s not a bad place to explore if you just want to hop off the ship and have nothing planned. You would just have to take an Uber there.

  

  We made it back to the ship around 2:30 p.m. This was waiting for us in our room!

  

  I took a nap and showered for dinner.

  Tonight’s menu:

  

  

  

  We started with this warm and perfect bread.

  

  Italian Wedding Soup (herbed beef and pork meatballs, vegetables, parmesan, orzo).

  

  I LOVED THIS! It had such great flavor. I was actually so impressed with their soups this whole week!

  Caesar Salad:

  

  I was not feeling any of the menu items how they were pictured on the menu. But the Bucatini Alla Crema Di Aglio (pasta, garlic cream, zucchini, asparagus, zesty Provencal crumbs) sounded amazing. It was just missing chicken! So I asked if that could be added and our waiter said yes, no problem.

  

  This was SO GOOD! It may have been my favorite thing from the entire week!

  Broiled Striploin Steak (creamy peppercorn sauce, steamed broccoli, skillet potatoes):

  

  Yankee Pot Roast (root vegetables, red wine gravy):

  

  Everyone loved their food tonight!

  Red Velvet Cake:

  

  This was REALLY good!

  Torta Di Pere, Cannella Inglese (pear and almond cake, cinnamon sauce):

  

  It was our tablemate’s birthday and they brought here this and sang a little song!

  

  After dinner we just relaxed a little bit and hit the casino. We went up to the White Party that started at 10:30 p.m. on the Lido Deck.

  

  Everyone loved all of the theme parties. Most people did dress accordingly!

  This bar is right on the Lido Deck next to the dance floor.

  

  

  Bellini Sparkle:

  

  This was so good!

  We went to check out the club for a little bit before heading back to sleep. It was a great day!

  Up next, Day 5 Nassau!

  Posted in Carnival Cruise Line, Cruise, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Carnival Cruise, Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Venezia, Cruise, Miami

• Carnival Venezia – Day 3, A Day at Sea! Tea Time, Dinner and Silent Disco!

  Posted at 2:03 pm by taryngirl, on October 30, 2023

  10/16/23

  Day 3

  After doing our own little self-led ship tour on Deck 5, we went back to the room to rest for a little bit before it was time to go to Tea Time in the Canal Grande Restaurant. The Tea goes from 3:00-4:00 p.m. I’m not sure if it was on every sea day or not. You have to check the Fun Times to see! It is complimentary and included with your cruise.

  We went right at 3:00 p.m. and there was a long line of people already. They led us all to one area in the back of the restaurant and we could sit wherever we wanted. These were the place settings:

  

  They immediately started coming around with tea sized treats! I don’t eat any seafood, but this was the first plate to come by our table:

  

  Macarons:

  

  These were coffee flavored I think?? It was good, but I’m not a coffee fan.

  Cucumber sandwiches:

  

  These were my favorite! I did have to wave someone over so I could get one more.

  Scones:

  

  Cream for the scones!

  

  These were delicious and the cream was heavenly!

  This was some kind of vanilla cake with lemon frosting.

  

  

  It was actually delicious and my second favorite thing that I had. It was super moist and I loved the filling.

  At this point, we were still waiting for our tea! We flagged someone down, and after 15 minutes we were served.

  

  This was some kind of peach crisp:

  

  I didn’t taste it, but Chrissy didn’t love it. It was very dry.

  They also served fresh strawberries.

  

  

  There really was no rhyme or reason to the order that they brought things out. Each waiter was just given a plate to walk around to the tables. A few waiters were in charge of the tea to distribute. In my opinion, they should have done this first to make sure everyone got some! We waited forever and actually had to flag someone down to get the tea. It was a little disorganized, but the crew was very polite and accommodating. There was more served than what is pictured here, but not everything made it over to our table. I think if they would have had certain waiters assigned to certain areas, it would have been better, and everyone would have been taken care of. It was a nice treat for the day though and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

  We were still hungry though so we went to get some pizza on Deck 10! These are the choices, and you can get as many slices as you would like. This is complimentary and included in your cruise.

  

  

  My favorite ended up being the Quattro Formaggi. It was delicious! This pizza location is open from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 a.m., so if you need a super late night snack, this is the place to go!

  

  After our snack, we went back to the room to nap and shower before dinner. It was about the time I was getting into the shower, when I was feeling SO FULL. We had eaten so much between tea and the pizza. I was dreading having to go to dinner!

  Tonight’s main dining room dinner menu:

  

  

  

  Lentil, Pumpkin and Chorizo Soup:

  

  Chrissy ordered that. I didn’t order any appetizer tonight. I still was not super hungry at all.

  Casarecce (short twisted pasta tossed in beef Bolognese, white wine, olive oil and parmesan bread crumbs)

  

  Roasted Leg of Lamb (Dijon potatoes, skillet brussel sprouts, au jus)

  

  Our table partner, Dana, ordered this. She liked it! We ended up loving our tablemate who was randomly assigned with us! We hung out after dinner sometimes and had a blast.

  Grilled Chicken Breast (garlic & herbs, sauteed vegetables, buttered potatoes)

  

  This was mine and I loved it! It might not look like much, but the flavor was wonderful and it was the perfect serving size.

  Zuppa Inglese (cocoa trifle, orange custard). Funny story about this! None of us thought this sounded particularly good at all. The orange custard sounded gross, etc. etc. We told our waiter this and he said he would bring one to us anyway.

  

  We ended up liking it!

  Cheesecake (strawberry sauce)

  

  Chrissy ordered this and liked it.

  Fresh Tropical Fruit

  

  I ordered the good old fruit! Fresh and good as always.

  On this particular night, the Phillies were playing. Chrissy lives in Philly and wanted to catch some of the game. So she headed to the Heroes bar where it was playing. There were a lot of Philly fans on board! This is the hallway just outside of the bar.

  

  The one activity we were looking forward to was Silent Nights, a silent disco! We have so much fun with these!

  At a silent disco, everyone is given a pair of headphones. There are 3 music channels you can switch between. So what you are listening to, your friends may not be hearing. Everyone just sings and dances to their own song!

  The party went from 9:30 p.m. until midnight! In the past, other silent discos I have gone to have been about an hour. This was nonstop for 2 and a half hours and it was a blast!

  Carnival also offers Late Night Snacks on the buffet every night. I haven’t really seen this on any other ship either! Here’s the menu:

  

  

  After our snack, we went to the Casino for a little it.

  

  It was a great night! We had a lot of fun.

  Up next, Day 4–Miami!

  Posted in Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Venezia, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Carnival, Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Venezia, Cruise, Trip Report

• Carnival Venezia – Day 3, A Day at Sea! (Part 1)

  Posted at 10:35 am by taryngirl, on October 27, 2023

  10/16/23

  Day 3

  Fun Times for the day:

  

  

  

  We had a super late start this day! We decided to go to Sea Day Brunch again since it was an in between time. As a reminder, this was in the Canal Grande Restaurant. I also realllly wanted to try Tea Time at 3:00 p.m.

  This time we tried the Skillet-Cake (whipped ricotta, guava preserve, marshmallow, maple butter). This was like a giant, thick pancake! It was good, but I really only ate a few bites because I was so full after eating my omelet.

  

  My veggie omelet, with bacon and brunch potatoes. So good!

  

  When we came out of brunch, we decided to check out Deck 5. I had heard great things about this deck and we hadn’t really had a chance to see it yet.

  The first thing we saw was this beautiful bar! This is where they had karaoke every night. It’s also located near the Terraza Suites.

  

  

  

  From there we just strolled down Deck 5 on the inside.

  On the left here is Pixels Gallery, where you could access all of the photos you had taken around the ship.

  

  

  

  This is the Gondola Lounge. Lotsssss of activities happened here throughout the week. Live music, games, trivia, etc.

  

  From there, we went outside because I had heard about some great seating areas on the deck.

  

  There’s also a quick service grill outside on this deck. Sadly I didn’t even get a chance to try it! It’s open on sea days.

  

  

  

  We ended up stopping here and I did some work.

  

  Back inside to another bar, Frizzante!

  There are also some more upscale shops inside on Deck 5.

  

  

  Another bar! Amari!

  

  You can also peek down into the Casino from here.

  

  There are a few premium, upcharge restaurants onboard. They are all located right here on Deck 5.

  

  

  

  The Piano Bar is also on this deck.

  

  This shopping area reminded me of a shopping mall!

  In summary from this part of my day…there is no shortage of seating areas, bars, shopping, or places to eat! This ship is amazing, with so much to do, and the crew is one of the friendliest I have encountered.

  I had to break this up into two parts because I have so many pictures and videos!

  Up next, Part 2.

  Posted in Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Venezia, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Carnival, Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Venezia, Cruise, Trip Report

• Carnival Venezia – Day 2, A Day at Sea!

  Posted at 7:32 pm by taryngirl, on October 25, 2023

  10/15/23

  Day 2

  Fun Times for the day:

  

  

  

  Today was a day at sea. We slept in and decided to try the Sea Day Brunch in the Canal Grande Restaurant. You can use the app to make a reservation, and then it will alert you when your table is ready. It does tell you how about how long until your table will be ready (10-20 minutes, 20-30 minutes, etc.) and then once it alerts you, you have 10 minutes to get to the restaurant. We made the reservation and then headed that direction. On the way, I took some pics of some shops.

  In the Fun Times and on the app, you will see daily specials noted…2 for $30, up to 75% off, watch specials, etc. etc. There are two little stands on Deck 4 forward, one on each side of the ship, where they offer these deals. Each day is something different.

  

  Also on Deck 4 forward, The Carnival Store with branded merchandise:

  

  Deck 4 forward, Cherry on Top (a candy store):

  

  From there we went through the Casino. You cannot walk from 3 forward, to 3 aft. It does not connect. So we went up one level to Deck 4 forward above our stateroom, and walked the length of Deck 4 to the aft. In order to do this, you have to go through the Casino.

  The Casino was ALWAYS a happening place when it was open. It was almost impossible to get a machine sometimes! I also want to note that this is a smoking casino. And there was tons of smoke all the time. There is a small nonsmoking casino adjacent to this one if you are sensitive to smoke.

  

  Also along the way, we passed by the Heroes Tribute Bar. This is the place where they showed the Phillies games. There was always a sporting event on the screen!

  

  This hallway is also where the Art Gallery is located. Pieces of art line the walls in this corridor.

  

  At 9:54 a.m., we still had a 10-20 minute wait.

  

  Here you can see the crowd hovering, waiting for their tables.

  

  At 10:15 a.m., our table was ready! Sea Day Brunch in included with the price of your cruise. There are a few upcharge items, including Fresh Pressed Specialty Juices, and a few Emeril’s Bistro Specialties. You can see prices next to those items in the menu.

  

  

  

  

  We were seated at quite possibly the best table in the restaurant! It was right next to the window in the back of the ship. We had a GREAT view! For my beverages, I ordered the orange juice, and hot tea. You can order anything you want off of the menu, and as much as you want.

  

  I also ordered white toast, the vegetable omelet, bacon and brunch potatoes.

  

  This was all SO GOOD!

  Chrissy got the eggs benedict, sausage, and hash browns.

  

  She really liked the eggs benedict!

  We both also ordered the banana cream pie, and this was AMAZING! It was SO GOOD! I loved the little extras they put on the plate.

  

  This dining room also serves as one of the Main Dining Rooms. If you are assigned Your Time Dining, this is the restaurant where you will be eating. It’s gorgeous on the inside! Here are a few pics:

  

  

  

  After brunch, we really wanted to check out some other decks. I really wanted to see the adult only area, Serenity! Serenity is located on Deck 15 aft.

  

  There is tons of seating here, all different types…lounge chairs, couches, tables and chairs, umbrellas, etc.

  

  

  It was cloudy and slightly cool with a few sprinkles. So not a great day to be sitting out! I completely forgot to come back here once the weather got better later on in the trip.

  Next we went down to Deck 12. (Note…there is no Deck 13!)

  On this deck you can find outdoor fitness machines, the jogging track, mini golf, The Warehouse (arcade), and the Waterworks (waterslide and water play area).

  

  There are also several loungers on this deck. In the picture below you can see the retractable roof that is over top of the Lido Deck, Deck 10.

  

  The Waterworks is a great area for smaller children. Children who are not potty trained may not go into the regular pools, so this is a good option for them.

  

  The ropes course is just above us here.

  

  

  Some of the outdoor fitness equipment:

  

  After our little ship tour, I went back to change and head to the fitness center and Chrissy went to a comedy show and then the Casino.
  A short nap and shower, and then it was time to get ready for dinner. It was Elegant Night and also Masquerade Night!

  

  Tonight’s menu in the main dining room:

  

  I chose the Caesar Salad. It was your basic Caesar.

  

  For my entree I ordered the Filleto Di Manzo (beef tenderloin, string beans, red wine sauce). This was absolutely delicious! Super tender and the taste was amazing.

  

  It was also cooked perfectly medium for me.

  

  For dessert, I had the Fresh Tropical Fruit. Nice and fresh!

  

  During dinner, the wait staff sang a song for us and did some dancing. Chrissy got roped into dancing for THE ENTIRE SONG! Hahahaha! She kept trying to escape but he kept bringing her back. This waiter was not ours, but he was amazing! He was so positive and upbeat the entire time with his tables.

  After dinner, we went to The Punchliner Comedy Club in the Limelight Lounge to see Will Marfori. This was R rated for 18+. He was HILARIOUS! He has Cerebral Palsy and was on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

  

  After the comedy show, we just stayed for the club.

  It was a great, long day!

  Up next…Day 3, another day at sea!

  Posted in Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Venezia, Cruise, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Carnival, Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Venezia, Cruise, Day at Sea, Trip Report

• Carnival Venezia – Embarkation Day in NYC!

  Posted at 6:45 pm by taryngirl, on October 24, 2023

  10/14/23

  Day 1

  I was so excited to be asked to attend this FAM cruise on the Carnival Venezia for my travel agency!  The Carnival Venezia is new to the Carnival family.  It was previously owned by Costa, Carnival’s sister line.  The ship is currently sailing from its homeport in NYC.  I have so many clients that look for a cruise that sails from NYC so they don’t have to fly to a port prior to the cruise.  I’ll be detailing my embarkation day, starting with my transportation to the port. 

  In researching my transportation options, and thanks to a Facebook group, I was able to find Trans-Bridge Lines.  This bus travels roundtrip from the Lehigh Valley International Airport to the Manhattan Pier (which is Pier 88, and exactly where the Venezia is docked).

  

  We arrived at the Lehigh Valley Airport at 8:50 a.m.  They ask you to arrive 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time.  Our scheduled departure time was 9:25 a.m.  The bus arrived at 9:10 a.m.

  

  This was sent to me in the mail for parking purposes:

  

  Roundtrip for an adult was $118.40, and for a senior it’s $64.20!  Parking at the airport is free for the first 3 days, then $5 per day thereafter.  To me, this was TOTALLY worth it.  I did not want to drive into the city, and I did not want to pay to park in the city for 9 days.  You can see the time schedule attached as well.

  It’s important to note that the cruise line will provide luggage tags during online check in that must be printed out at home and attached to whatever baggage you want the porters to take at the port and get onto the ship for you.  These are your checked bags. 

  When the bus arrived to pick us up, he loaded our luggage, and checked our names off of his list.  NOTE!  There are other buses that go from this location to other places.  So make sure you look at the website closely when you are booking so you are booking the correct bus. 

  I usually only ever take a checked suitcase along with me on a cruise, besides my backpack.  However, for this cruise, I decided to take a 12 pack of soda, a bottle of wine, and my fan, so that all went in a rolling carry-on suitcase!  Whatever cruise line you are going on, be sure you check the policies for what beverages you can carry on, etc. 

  

  We left the airport at 9:25 a.m., right on time.  We were due to arrive at the Manhattan Pier at 12:10 p.m.  We did not stop at the Clinton stop for some reason, there was no traffic prior to entering the city at all, and we were in Manhattan by 11:05 a.m.!  It rained the entire drive, and it was still raining when we arrived.  During my online check in, I selected 12:00-12:30 p.m. time slot for getting onto the ship.  I didn’t know what this meant for us when we got to the terminal. 

  There was a lottttttt of traffic IN the actual city.  There was some kind of marathon going on near the piers, and Comic Con was going on at Javits.  We arrived at Pier 88 at 11:40 a.m.  After our bus pulled into a spot, one of the porters (maybe a head porter if there is such a thing???) got onboard before we got off and proceeded to shout instructions to us.  They were already getting the luggage out of the bottom of the bus while he was talking.  Basically, any of the pieces of luggage that had the luggage tag attached to them, were automatically put on a cart to go directly to the ship.  Anything that didn’t have a tag on it was put in a separate area.  He reminded us to make sure we had our boarding pass and identification (passport, driver’s license), and that they were not in any checked luggage.  He also mentioned tips, saying that they are separate from the bus driver, and they appreciate tips as well.

  Once inside the terminal, it took us about 30 minutes until we were entering the ship.  There were so many staff members working, and they were all friendly and helpful.  There were different lines for everything…security, check-in desk, boarding, and everyone was great at directing.

  

  

  The chaos just entering the ship on Deck 3, Piazza San Marco:

  Once on the ship, we went directly to the elevators.  I was happy to see a “Lunch Express” elevator that went directly to Deck 5 or 10 only.  Embarkation day is always crazy.  Many people have luggage with them, and cabins are not ready until later in the afternoon, so it feels extra busy and crowded.  In this express elevator, they had a staff member controlling it.  I don’t recall ever seeing this on any other cruise I have been on, but it was nice!

  

  

  It took foreverrrrrr for us to find a seat.  We walked all over the buffet area.  Most people find a table and camp out there until the rooms are ready at 1:30 p.m., even though these signs are on the tables:

  

  There were many good choices on the Italian themed buffet.  (Each day would be a different theme.)  We didn’t know at this point that there were actually 4 different buffet lines.  And we also didn’t know that the lines served different food (2 served one menu, and the other 2 served a different menu).  One thing I can tell you with absolute certainty is that the desserts at the buffet were AMAZING!  SO GOOD.  And several different choices. It was so crowded, I was not able to get any videos on this day of the buffet! I was lucky to get a pic of this menu!

  

  

  

  All of this was very good!

  

  

  

  

  The staterooms were ready at this point, so we went to our muster station first on the way.  The muster drill is very different now from pre-Covid times.  You just have to go before sailaway and check in, and then watch a short demonstration.  He basically taught us how to put on the life jackets, and what sounds to listen for.

  We were in stateroom 3207, an Ocean View.  We didn’t get to choose our stateroom, it was assigned to us, as we were part of a travel agent group. 

  

  This is what the hallway looks like. Luggage that was checked with the porters prior to entering the ship was being delivered. It’s put in the hallway just outside of your stateroom.

  

  Our Sail & Sign cards were in an envelope in the mailbox on our door. These function as the stateroom key, and is the cashless on board program for all money transactions. Anything extra that you purchase on the ship can be charged with this card and go on your shipboard account. This is paid then with the credit card that you put on file during online check in.

  

  Here is a video tour of our stateroom:

  Things I LOVED about this cabin!

  • Location—It was on the same deck as the main dining room and the atrium bar.  It was just one deck down from the theater and the casino.  It was close to the elevators. On port days and debarkation, we were very close to the exit deck, which ranged from deck 0-3.
  • Split bathroom—One bathroom had a large sink,  a stand up shower and a toilet, while the other had a shower/tub combo and a small sink.
  • It was spacious!  I never felt cramped.  The sofa was a good size.
  • Storage—There were two closets, as well as drawers and lots of shelves within the bathrooms.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  We had preordered bottled water and beer.  We did this on the app, and it was in our room upon arrival.  I ordered two 12 packs of water ($19.90), and a 4 pack of Miller Lite ($24.00). I had looked at pricing ahead of time and this was cheaper than ordering it once onboard from the bar. Since we had a beverage cooler, I liked this option. I like to have bottled water on port days and in the stateroom. Water is available at the buffet and on deck 10 but it’s not bottled.

  Each day, you are given a copy of Fun Times, which lists all of the activities going on on the ship for the day.  There’s information about dining, shows, music, etc.  This is all available on the app as well. 

  

  

  

  

  

  We took a little nap before heading out.  We wanted to go up to deck 10, the Lido deck, for the Sail Away Party.  On the way, I had to take this pic of the lobby!  SO festive for Halloween.

  

  The Sail Away Party was next to the pool area on the deck, however the roof was not open because of the weather.  It was raining and cool.  We had the privilege of having DJ Cue!  He is actually my favorite DJ I’ve ever had on a cruise!  He played such a variety and some 90s oldies that I love.  We also got to meet the cruise director at this time.

  

  We had late dinner (7:45 p.m.), so we were able to go outside and wait to pass the Statue of Liberty.  It was raining, and gloomy and gray.  We started moving at 5:20 p.m. and were passing the Statue of Liberty at 5:55 p.m.

  

  

  

  

  We were actually starving around 6:00 p.m.  We had such an early start in the morning.  We stopped at the deli for a bite to eat. The deli is located by the buffet on deck 10.

  

  My friend Chrissy got the BLT and fries. (She got this almost every day after as well!). They put SO MUCH BACON on these sandwiches! She thoroughly enjoyed this.

  

  I got a hot dog and fries. The hot dog was eh, and I only ate a few bites. But the fries were good!

  

  After our snack, we went back to the room to unpack some more and get ready for dinner.  While we were in the cabin, our stateroom attendant, Suazo stopped by to introduce himself and drop off our excursion tickets for later in the week.  I asked him for some more hangers and he gladly brought me some.

  We went to dinner right on time and were led to our table.  There is always a long line on the first night until you know where your table will be located. 

  

  Tonight’s menu:

  

  

  

  The menu can be accessed with a QR code, or within the app, or you can ask for a paper menu.

  Dinner started with some bread. This had cranberrries in it and I didn’t love it.

  

  We met our wait staff…I Made, Edi, and I don’t even know the other one’s name! He was the bread/beverage guy, and he didn’t really have a personality or talk to us. When I Made came to take our order, he told us to give our entire order at once. They take the orders on a phone type device now and it has our picture there. It also shows up in the app under our account as to what we ordered every night for dinner!

  I started off with the Mixed Greens (tomato, cucumber, red onions, carrots, balsamic dressing), and it was really good. I figured I better fit in as many vegetables as I could this week!

  

  I also got the Pappa Al Pomodoro (tomato soup with Tuscan bread). This was good! But there was no bread with it??

  

  For my main course, I ordered Pollo Arrosto Con Salsiccia (half-roasted chicken with sausage, herb-sauteed potatoes, broccoli). This was DELICIOUS! It had such good flavor.

  

  Chrissy ordered the Grilled Salmon (lemon pepper marinade, sauteed vegetables, buttered potatoes).

  

  For dessert, I ordered the Carnival Chocolate Melting Cake. It was yummy! It’s served HOT!

  

  Chrissy got the Tiramisu (mascarpone, espresso, savoiardi biscuit). She liked this!

  

  I also wanted to note that this ship’s motto is “Fun Italian Style.” And on each menu for dinner, the Italian dishes were noted with an Italian flag next to the dish.

  After dinner, we went to the Welcome Aboard show in the theater.  The cruise director was hosting.  He told us there were 4,123 passengers on board, and 380 of those were children under the age of 18.  We also got a small glimpse of the performers for the week while they put on a little show for us.

  

  

  That’s a wrap for Day 1! It was a long day, and we were tired.

  Up next…Day 2!

  Posted in Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Venezia, Cruise, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Carnival, Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Venezia, NYC Port, Trip Report

• Morning at Magic Kingdom, Liberty Tree Tavern Lunch!

  Posted at 9:30 am by taryngirl, on October 11, 2023

  9/12/23

  This short trip had been in the works for months. My travel agency owner called an informal meet up to help celebrate the agency’s 10th birthday!

  I left my house at 2:30 a.m. to drive to the Philadelphia Airport. I picked up my travel bestie since she lives about 15 minutes from the airport. Our flight was earlyyyyyyyy on Frontier. We met up with another agent who was flying down just for the day.

  We landed, got our luggage, ordered an Uber, and went to our resort, Disney’s Saratoga Springs. We changed, freshened up in the bathroom of the lobby, gave our luggage to bell services, and headed off to the bus stop for Magic Kingdom. We were inside the gates at 9:30 a.m.! Today was a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party event, which meant the park was going to close to regular guests at 6:00 p.m. Those who purchased the event tickets were permitted to enter at 4:00 p.m., while everyone else had to leave by 6:00 p.m.

  

  I was excited to see everything decorated for fall and halloween!

  

  

  We didn’t really have a plan at all for the morning and afternoon. We checked wait times and decided to go directly to Haunted Mansion. It had a 20 minute posted wait time. From there we went to Pirates of the Caribbean. That was down for the entire morning until now. It had just reopened and we only had a 5 minute wait.

  My travel partner got a return time for Tron. So we went over to Tomorrowland. I had a drink break and went on the People Mover while I waited for her. I also decided spur of the moment to make a lunch reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern, which is in my top 3 meals at Disney! There was plenty availability the day of, which is unusual.

  In fact, look at the wait times for the rides at 11:00 a.m.:

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I’ve been saying this for years…Not So Scary Halloween Party dates are GREAT days to visit Magic Kingdom as a park day! Enter at park opening, and be finished sometime between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. You should be able to hit a majority of the rides, and have some table service dining options if you did not plan ahead.

  It was EMPTY!

  Our lunch reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern was at 12:30 p.m.

  

  Liberty Tree Tavern is served family style, all-you-care-to-enjoy. Current pricing is $39 per adult, $21 per child, plus tax and gratuity. All serving sizes shown were for two of us.

  We started off the meal with the delicious rolls. These are served warm, and were slightly different than what I remembered from the last time I ate here. These have some kind of butter mixture on top. Regardless, they were soft and delicious!

  

  Next was the Declaration Salad–Mixed greens, Apples, Cranberries, and Cheese tossed with Housemade Dressing

  This salad was also different than I remember. It was good though. The dressing had a good flavor and was very light. I’m not a huge fan of cranberries, and these were a non-factor really.

  

  After a short while, the main platter and sides came out.

  House-made Macaroni & Cheese

  This was very good! I like it so much better than the Stouffer’s that they used to serve!

  

  Seasonal Vegetables (Green Beans! I have never seen them serve a vegetable that wasn’t green beans…) and Mashed Potatoes

  These were yummy! We did get more of the potatoes. They really are so creamy and good! I personally like to eat the pot roast with them…

  

  Roasted Turkey, Pot Roast, Oven Roasted Pork, Herb Stuffing

  The turkey and pot roast are AMAZING! I don’t know that I even tried the pork because I love the other two so much! We did get more pot roast. The stuffing was okay, but I love the mashed potatoes so much that I don’t waste my time with the stuffing. 🙂

  

  House-made Gravy is also served.

  The grand finale course here is the Oooey Gooey Toffee Cake–Vanilla Toffee Cake, Chocolate Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream

  This is my favorite dessert in alllllll of the land! The cookie part is warm. IT’S SO DANG GOOD!

  

  We were done eating around 1:30 p.m. We had some plans for the evening non-Disney related, and we still had some time before we had to go back to the resort.

  We went to Fantasyland and went on It’s a Small World and Little Mermaid. We walked through the shops on the way out to the bus.

  We were back to the resort before 4:00 p.m. I had received a text that our room was ready. So we went to Bell Services to get our luggage. They gave us three options. We could take our luggage and walk to our room. (Saratoga Springs is HUGE so that was a definite no!) We could go to the room and call for our bags. Or they could drive us on a golf cart with our luggage. Of course we opted for the golf cart! I did tip the cast member who drove us, as he carried our bags to the room for us.

  

  We were staying in a 1 bedroom villa. Here’s a little room tour!

  I absolutely love this resort. It’s been renovated, and I love the pull down bed in the living room vs. the old sofa beds that were not very comfortable. I also love the full kitchen in the villas. It’s nice to have the option for drinks and snacks.

  My friend had scheduled someone to come to the room to give us henna tattoos.

  We loved the final products!

  

  

  After our tattoos, we jumped in an Uber and went to dinner with some friends that live in Windermere. It was a fun night! And we were ready to hit the ground running the next day at Hollywood Studios!

  Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Magic Kingdom, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Liberty Tree Tavern, Magic Kingdom, Room Tour, Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Table Service

• Vision of the Seas – Day 5, At Sea

  Posted at 9:12 am by taryngirl, on October 4, 2023

  6/12/23

  We were excited for another day at sea to just relax and eat! There is always discussion about sea days and being able to find a chair by the pool or a table to sit in the shade. My mom doesn’t love being in the sun, so we always found a table on the pool deck for her. We had a late start today and didn’t make it up to the deck until about 10:30 a.m.

  I was able to find a chair, but not directly in front of the pool, and this table close by. It was SUPER WINDY today!

  

  We ate at the Windjammer buffet. My daughter’s plate (which is perfection for her!):

  

  My plate (the usual!):

  

  The only thing I did not love was that egg thing. I don’t know why I kept getting it each day expecting a different result…

  We honestly just stayed out by the pool allllll day. I did find better seats closer to the pool eventually.

  

  Before we knew it, it was lunch time! The Windjammer was open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

  Today I was feeling like eating a salad, and of course whatever ethnic dish they were serving. I really was happy with the buffet choices during the entire cruise!

  

  If you have never heard of a Ranger cookie, you are missing out! I don’t even love coconut, but these cookies are AMAZING! So soft and chewy! And it was my daily dessert at lunch time.

  

  And some I stashed for later….

  

  It really was a lazy day! We went back to nap, shower, and get ready for dinner.

  Tonight’s menu was “A Taste of Italy.”

  

  Classic Caesar Salad–crisp romaine, garlic croutons, parmesan, creamy caesar dressing

  

  Basic Caesar, but good!

  Garden Mixed Salad-fresh lettuce greens, tomatoes, cucumber and red onion served with a house vinaigrette

  

  This was good!

  Italian Minestrone-a classic Italian soup with diced mixed vegetables, cannellini beans and cooked macaroni pasta cooked in a savory tomato broth

  

  Crispy Parmesan Arancini-panko breaded and fried arborio rice, portobello mushroom and provolone cheese balls paired with romesco sauce

  

  These were really good!

  Chicken Parmesan-breaded chicken breast topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese, served over al dente spaghetti

  

  This was good!

  Lasagna Al Forno-layers of lasagna pasta, beef ragout, mozzarella cheese, marinara and bechamel sauce

  

  I had read really good things about this lasagna, so I knew I had to try it! It was very good. Rich, but good!

  My youngest ordered just plain grilled chicken breasts.

  

  She loved these! She is super picky and really eats just plain food. No sauces, no dressings, no dips, no gravy, etc…

  I have no idea what this dessert is! It’s not listed on the menu.

  

  Classic Tiramisu-layers of whipped mascarpone cheese, delicate ladyfinders, espresso and a hint of Kahlua liqueur

  

  Lemon Curd Tartlet-sweet lemon curd baked in a butter crust with torched meringue and a chocolate garnish

  

  I love all things lemon! And I thought this was amazing!

  Tonight there was some action after dinner. Some music and dancing!

  This waiter was feeling it!

  After dinner, we did our usually sunset and deck photos.

  

  It was still super windy!

  

  

  

  While heading to the evening show, we found this beautiful wall near the Casino! I’m not a great photographer, and my angles are goofy, but you get the gist.

  

  

  The show tonight was Manuel Zuniga, a comedian and juggler. He was really funny and very talented. We enjoyed the fast paced show!

  After the show, we checked out the Centrum. There was a Lip Sync Challenge going on and then a dance party. It was hoppin!

  

  Overall we had an amazing day! We love sea days, and just moving on our own schedule.

  Posted in Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Uncategorized, Vision of the Seas | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Main Dining Room, Royal Caribbean, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Vision of the Seas

• Vision of the Seas–Day 4 Bermuda!

  Posted at 1:38 pm by taryngirl, on September 27, 2023

  

  6/11/23

  I was very excited for our second day in Bermuda! On this day, our plan was to get off the ship and explore the port area. Since we were docked overnight, we were free to come and go as we pleased.

  This was the Cruise Compass with activities for the day:

  

  

  

  

  We started with a breakfast in the Main Dining Room on the ship at around 8:30 a.m.

  

  Granola Parfait

  

  Seasonal Fruit Plate

  

  Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon

  

  Express Breakfast

  

  French Toast

  

  French Toast (no berries)–This was mine and delicious! I love french toast!

  

  Buttermilk Pancakes with Banana

  

  The Classic Benedict

  

  Everyone enjoyed their breakfast here. It was a nice change from the busy buffet!

  We finished up and were off the ship by 9:30 a.m. Here’s a map located just off the ship in the port area. We were going to walk over to the Clocktower Shopping Mall and do some shopping.

  

  I had to explain what these were to these teens…JUST KIDDING! We couldn’t resist a photo opp though.

  

  

  

  Here are some videos from the port area:

  Look at our tiny ship!

  

  Here’s a view from the ship into the port:

  We were back on the ship by 12:30 p.m. Our plan was to lay by the pool until dinner time. We were lucky and found great seats!

  

  I was realllllly thirsty for something fruity and came up with this concoction…1/2 strawberry, 1/2 mango daiquiri. Several people approached me and asked me what it was so they could order one too!

  

  Little did we know that we had the best seats ever for the Men’s Bellyflop Competition!

  This guy was so much fun and participated in everythingggggggg!

  We headed back to the cabin to get ready for dinner. Tonight’s menu was “A Taste of the USA.”

  

  Buffalo Chicken Dip–creamy dip with shredded grilled chicken, cream cheese and hot pepper sauce, topped with blue cheese crumbles and crispy tortilla chips

  

  I got to taste this and it was very good!

  Baked Potato Soup–rich and creamy, served with cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream and fresh chives

  

  New York Strip Steak–prepared to order with choice of herb butter or green peppercorn sauce, baked potato, sauteed vegetables

  

  This was mine and it was yummy!

  Kid’s Menu Chicken Nuggets and Fries

  

  Royal Burger–1/4 pound patty served on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, pickles, fried onions, cheddar cheese, secret sauce and a side of fries

  

  Maple and Bourbon Glazed Salmon–buttermilk mashed potatoes, crispy brussel sprouts and a Dijon sauce

  

  Funny story…someone wanted to order the Lobster Mac and Cheese, but our waiter politely said he thought she should order something else. But that he would also bring some for her to try. He wasn’t fond of the dish for some reason, so we liked that he was honest with us!

  Lobster Mac and Cheese–decadent lobster and pasta in a rich cheese sauce topped with toasted buttery bread crumbs

  

  I honestly don’t know which dessert this is! Maybe the brownie from the Kid’s Menu??

  

  Warm Apple Crumble–hot apple compote topped with crunchy streusel, vanilla ice cream

  

  This was mine and it was delicious!

  Royal Cheesecake–velvety cheesecake garnished with a glazed strawberry

  

  This was my daughter’s and it is her favorite cheesecake ever!

  Royal Chocolate Cake–layers of dark chocolate cake and decadent chocolate mousse

  

  Also delicious!

  After dinner, we went outside for some photos. (It was Tropical Night btw.)

  

  Sunset!

  

  We made our way to Some Enchanted Evening Lounge for some 90s Music Trivia. It was a blast from the past, and we knew every song!

  After trivia, it was off to the Centrum for If You Know It Dance It!

  We were feeling like it was time for a snack, so we went up to the Park Cafe which has late night snacks from 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. These were the offerings on this particular night:

  

  

  I opted for some pepperoni pizza!

  

  It hit the spot for sure!

  Overall we had a really great day shopping, eating, relaxing, and singing and dancing! Cruise perfection!

  Posted in Cruise, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Uncategorized, Vision of the Seas | 0 Comments | Tagged Bermuda, Cruise, Cruise Compass, Dining Review, Main Dining Room, Royal Caribbean, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Vision of the Seas

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