Saturday, November 7, 2015 – Basseterre, St. Kitts

Saturday, November 7, 2015.

The Royal Princess docked at Port Zante in the capital of Basseterre (pronounced Bass-tair) at 9:00 am.  It was sunny and hot with temperatures hovering around 83 degrees.  The forecast was for cloudy skies in the afternoon with passing rain showers.  St. Kitts and its neighboring island of Nevis gained independence from Great Britain in 1983.  Today it is an independent member of the British Commonwealth.  St. Kitts and Nevis are located southeast of Puerto Rico and are part of Leeward Islands.  Temperatures range from 75 to 85 throughout the year and the islands enjoy constant breezes from the northeast Trade Winds.  The official currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar.  US dollars are accepted but not US coins.  The capital city of Basseterre contains an area called the Circus which is named after the famous Piccadilly Circus in London.

At the turn of the 18th century, St. Kitts was the richest British colony per capita in the Caribbean largely due to the sugar trade.  After 365 years, sugar production ended on the island in 2005.  Today, the fields that were once sugar cane are now grown over with grasses.

We purchased a Princess Cruises shore excursion for St. Kitts, Caribbean Culinary Demonstration & Tasting for $89.95 per person.  Our meeting time was 9:20 am ashore at the end of the pier.  The tour transported 17 guests by small bus to the Fairview Great House, a meticulously restored traditional West Indian Great House situated in a stunning tropical Botanical Garden.

(fruit from the Soursop Tree)

There was time before the cooking demonstration and tasting to explore the Great House which is furnished in authentic colonial style.  Our guide was named Cheviour. The first floor had a dining room, parlor, and study.  The second floor had a master bedroom and toilet.

 

The second floor veranda has a panoramic view of the Caribbean Sea and neighboring island of Nevis.

After touring the house, we gathered in a lovely open air room with tables set for four.  The cooking area was large enough so everyone could see what was being done and there were mirrors in the ceiling to provide additional views of the cooktop and preparation area. As advertised, the tour provided an intimate demonstration of the best of Caribbean cuisine by a historian cook named Lawson who discussed regional foods, shared old and new recipes, and talked about the development of delicious dishes that combine Old and New World ingredients with African, European, and Indian cooking methods.  Chef Lawson trained in New York City before returning to St. Kitts.  The Nirvana Restaurant open for lunch and dinner at Fairview Great House is listed on TripAdvisor.

(Chef Lawson and his assistant Cheviour)

We were given the recipes for all the items on the menu and the chef encouraged us to take notes and ask questions.  Our Caribbean Luncheon Menu included: Vegetable Escovitch, Jerk Pork Loin, West Indian Steamed Grouper, Red Beans & Rice, and Coconut and Rum Bread & Butter Pudding with a passion fruit drink.  Delicious!  We agreed that this was one of our better shore excursions as we would both do it again on another cruise.

Back at Port Zante we stopped at the Casino for a few minutes and took a selfie before walking back to the ship.

See that black cloud blowing over the ship?  Well, you wouldn’t believe the amount of water it poured down on us before we could get inside the ship.  We were dripping wet and looked like someone had taken a garden hose and poured water on top of our heads for about 10 minutes.  One of the staff officers couldn’t help himself when we met in the hallway leading toward our cabin.  He broke out laughing.  We had to laugh with him.  We really looked like drowned rats.  Our clothes are still are not dry over 24 hours later.

All Aboard was at 5:30 pm.  We were able to sit outside on our balcony for Sail Away because the black cloud had moved on and left the sky blue and sunny.  The only predicted passing rain shower got us!

Friday, November 6, 2015 – Bridgetown, Barbados

Friday, November 6, 2015.

Today was sunny and hot when the Royal Princess docked in Bridgetown Harbor at 7:00 am.  Barbados has a year round temperature of 85 degrees and is located by itself as the most eastern Caribbean island about a 100 miles east of Saint Lucia.  The dry season is from July to December and the rainy season is from January to June.  Bridgetown is on the Caribbean Sea side of the island.  The US dollar is accepted everywhere, but the official currency is the Barbados Dollar (BBD).  Barbados is known for its Mount Gay rum produced on the Mount Gay plantation for the past 300 years.  Bridgetown, Barbados is the only place outside the continental United States that George Washington visited.  He accompanied his brother Lawrence who was ill with tuberculosis after the doctors recommended the climate on Barbados as a cure.  Barbados was a British colony and is the only Caribbean island that was continuously controlled by a single nation until it obtained independence and joined the British Commonwealth.

The Royal Princess was in port with three other ships today – P&O’s Britannia, Silversea’s Silver Whisper, and a small ship, Freewinds.

Since the Royal Princess was docked the furthest from the Cruise Terminal, shuttle buses ran continuously throughout the day. 

After breakfast, we took one of the shuttles to the Cruise Terminal and decided to have a local Banks beer at Coconuts, a bar just outside the Cruise Terminal.

 

We had a nice chat with a couple who were on the P&O Britannia.  They had been on board for a little over two weeks sailing from Southampton to the Canary Islands, across the Atlantic, and sailing around some of the Caribbean islands.  They were flying back to England the next day.  Before taking the shuttle back to the Royal Princess, we stopped at the Calypso Rum Cake store for our purchase.

We had a salad in the Horizon Court on Deck 16 and ordered lemonade to drink.  Very tasty.

All Aboard was at 3:30 pm.  We watched Sail Away from our balcony.  The pilot left the ship on our side, starboard, and gave all of us watching a wave good-bye.

In Club 6, Robert let us know that Princess was discontinuing several brands of wine and if we were interested he would order whatever bottles we might like for the second half of our cruise. With Robert’s recommendation, we decided to try a brand called Wheelhouse.  The Wheelhouse Chardonnay was $16.20 ($18.63 with gratuity) and Wheelhouse Cabernet Sauvignon was $15.60 ($17.94 with gratuity).  We will find out tomorrow night if we like the wine well enough to order more.

We went to the 6:45 pm show in the Princess Theater featuring the Magic and Comedy of Scott Alexander.  His show was really good and we still do not know how he did his magic tricks.  Some of the pictures I took during his performance show his hands as blurred so he must have been very quick for some of his tricks.

It was Italian Night in the Dining Room.  I ordered the Melanzane alla Parmigiana, a grilled eggplant, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese appetizer; a salad of mixed greens and baby spinach with crisp bacon, peorino cheese, and pine nuts; and Scaloppine di Vitello al Marsala, a pan-seared veal scaloppine with shipped potatoes and Marsala sauce for an entree.  I had the fruit plate for dessert with decaf coffee and Henry had the French Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee.

Thursday, November 5, 2015 – Castries, Saint Lucia

Even though the weather forecast called for sunny skies, it was rainy and warm (high 70s and low 80s) in Castries today.  The Royal Princess docked at Pointe Seraphine at 8:00 am and the Carnival Liberty docked across the Castries Harbor at Port Castries commercial wharf in the center of town.  It was a dreary, rainy day.  The rain was light and sometimes it held off for a few minutes, but the dark rain clouds seemed to hover directly over us all day.

                                    Carnival Liberty across Castries Harbor

Saint Lucia has a decidedly British influence.  It remains as part of the Commonwealth with Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State.  Driving is on the left and cricket is a passionate national sport.  Saint Lucia is part of the Lesser Antilles and is situated between St. Vincent to the south and Martinique to the north.  Year round temperatures are usually 84 during the day and 64 at night.

All the shops and bars were open in the Pointe Seraphine shopping complex.  We made our way to the Rum Therapy and Treatment Centre at the far end of the complex near the water taxi stop.  We decided that it was just too rainy to take the water taxi to Brown Sugar located in Vigie Cove. 

Internet access was complimentary for customers.  Rum Punch drinks were $5 each or two for $8.  Piton beers were $4 each; two for $6; or 6 for $15.  Other rum drink choices included The Blue Pill, the Dirty Detox, the Bloody Nose, Ward 9, the Wheelchair, a Painkiller, and Rum Therapy.  We decided to stick with known cures.

     

We decided to have lunch on Deck 6 in Alfredo’s Italian dining room where the Neapolitan style pizzas with thin crusts are made from scratch, hand-stretched, and baked to order.

Henry chose the Minestrone alla Sorrentina soup with root vegetables, navy beans, tomatoes, and broken spaghetti.  We both had the Insalata Mista all’ Alfredo, a mixed green salad with Chef Alfredo’s balsamic her and extra virgin olive oil vinaigrette.  I chose the Pizza Hawaiiana with tomato sauce, chicken, baked ham & pineapple cubes with mozzarella and monterey jack cheese.  Henry ordered a vegetarian pizza.  The salad was very nice and the pizzas were good and filling.

After lunch, Henry took a nap and I went back to Rum Therapy to use their Internet access.

All Aboard was as at 5:30 pm, but it was too wet to be out on the balcony for Sail Away, so we went to Club 6. 

The pre-dinner hors d’oeuvres in Club 6 were delicious – herb marinated goat’s cheese with crisp rosemary flatbread and tomato bruschetta.  We regularly meet up with three other couples in Club 6:  Tom and Linda from The Villages in Florida, Marilyn and Lloyd from Vero Beach, Florida, and Joe and Susan from England.  Then, there are the two bartenders, Robert and Mario, and a favorite cocktail waiter, Dearpan.

Tonight production show was “Sweet Soul Music.”  We sat on the front row and were about blasted away from the high volume coming from the speakers.  Thankfully, I had remembered to put ear plugs in my evening bag from previous cruises on the Royal Princess.  This is the first show so far on our cruise that the sound was cranked up so high.  The show was a good one and included songs “I heard it through the Grapevine” and “Soul Man.”

Another Norman Love Chocolate Journey dessert was featured at dinner. 

Wednesday, November 4, 2015 – St. John’s, Antigua

It was sunny and hot with a high of 83 F in St. John’s, Antigua when the Royal Princess docked at 8:00 am.  The islands of Antigua and Barbuda are located in the center of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean.  Antigua is the largest of all the English speaking Leeward Islands.  It is 14 miles long and 11 miles wide.  The average temperature is 85 degrees F year round.  Northeast trade winds keep the humidity from being too high.  US dollars are accepted everywhere, but the official currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar that is currently trading at the banks for around 2.50 to 2.65 to one US dollar.  Usually, businesses accept half the quoted price in EC dollars for US dollars.

After breakfast, we met Vicki and Bill and Joy and Merle on Deck 5 near the International Cafe. 

The Royal Princess docked at Redcliffe Quay instead of Heritage Quay, so it was a shorter walk to the West Station bus station on Market Street.   Two other ships were in port with us – the Celebrity Summit and the Seaborne Galaxy.

 
(View past security at the end of the pier at Redcliffe Quay up Nevis Street toward Market Street)

It was easy to find a 15 passenger van with the number 22.  Steve was our driver.  The price was $3 for two passengers one way.  It took about 20 minutes to drive to Darkwood Beach with the entrance to Darkwood Beach Bar and Restaurant right on the road.  Along the way, Steve told us a little about what we were seeing on this stretch of road.  We saw Valley Church and the road to Valley Church Beach and The Nest Beach Bar.  We also had several locals who used the bus for transportation including one young lady dressed in a smart uniform who got off at a private school academy.

(Bus driver Steve with Merle and Bill)

Darkwood Beach was pretty and not crowded when we first arrived.  The beach bar had plenty of tables and chairs under cover to provide shade.  Rum drinks were $5 and local Waldadli beers were $3.  A 10% gratuity was added to our bill.

We heard that taxis were charging $40 to $50 each way to take people to Darkwood Beach Bar.  We were offered rides back to St. John’s by several taxi drivers that we turned down.  Almost as soon as we walked outside and stood along the road, another bus 22 came along.  Again, the price was $3 for two. 

Vicki and Bill decided to walk back to the ship.  Joy and Merle decided to walk around St. John’s.  We decided to walk over to Heritage Quay and have a Waldadli at the B-Hive bar.  One the way, we saw a Radio Shack store and stopped to ask about a charging cord for the Lenovo laptop.  Caleb thought he had one at home but when he saw the laptop, he said no.  He had not seen a Lenovo so thin that used a plug similar to a USB for charging.  All was not lost.  The Waldadlis were cold.

Roger and Val took public bus #17 to Nelson’s Dockyard and said that their DIY excursion was a good one.  I think we might try using bus #17 next time.

Back in the cabin, we ordered a club sandwich and a chef’s salad from room service to split for lunch.

All Aboard was at 4:30 pm.  After watching Sail Away from our balcony and having a 5 o’clock cocktail, we went to Club 6.  The pre-dinner hors d’oeuvres in Club 6 this evening featured a Wheel of Stilton with port wine reduction.

The production show in the Princess Theater, “What the World Needs Now,” featured the Princess singers and dancers.  We had no difficulty in finding good seats for the 6:45 pm show.  After the show, we went to the Symphony Dining room where we had a short wait before sharing a table with three other couples.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015 – Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas USVI

Tuesday, November 3, 2015. 

The weather was cloudy with patches of sunshine intermixed with light rain.  With temperatures at 84 degrees F,  Charlotte Amalie was hot and very humid.  It was too sticky to be outside.

At 8:00 am, the Royal Princess docked at the West Indian Company Dock next to the shops at Havensight.  We are the only ship on this side of St. Thomas.  The Oosterdam and the Oasis of the Seas are docked across the bay on the other side of Charlotte Amalie at Crown Bay.  All Aboard is not until 5:30 pm. 

We could see a Radio Shack from our balcony.  Since I had left the charger cord to the new Lenovo laptop plugged into the desk lamp base at our pre-cruise motel, I was hoping to find a replacement.  Radio Shack was completely out of all cords to charge any computers.  They recommended PC Paradise, a store near the Shipwreck Tavern and Bar in the Al Cohen Liquor complex of shops.  The store was closed even though the store’s times were listed as opening at 9:30 am.  Another nearby proprietor called the owner of PC Paradise at his home which was extraordinarily kind.  The owner said that he had a charger and would meet me at his shop at 11:30 am.  Henry and I had a beer at the Shipwreck while we waited.  The owner finally arrived and then said that he did not have a cord that would fit the Lenovo.  He only had cords to fit Apple laptops.  I did use my cell phone to call the motel and ask them to look for the cord and save it until we returned from our cruise if they found it. We’ll see.  It is good that I brought the old HP computer as a back-up.  I can always order a new cord to charge the Lenovo computer after we return home.

We thought about walking to the Fat Turtle restaurant and bar in the Yacht Haven Grande Shopping area, but it was so humid, that we just walked back to the ship which was enough to make us both dripping wet.  We did stop at the Post Office for post card stamps. 

Back in the cabin, we cooled off a bit and then put our wet clothes that we had worn outside in the laundry basket and took showers.  It was that humid and hot!

We had a salad in Horizon Court for lunch along with lots of ice water!

Robert, one of the bartenders in Club 6, had our Cosmopolitans practically waiting for us when we arrived around 5:30 pm.  Straight up for me and on the rocks for Henry.  Tonight was a Smart Casual Night.

The show in the Princess Theater was “Oh, What a Night!” – a musical tribute to Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons featuring The Unexpected Boys.  It was an abbreviated version of Jersey Boys and an excellent show!

They invited a lady in the audience to stand on stage with them to be their “Sheri Baby.”  Three nights later we had dinner with Sheri and her husband when we shared a table for eight in the Concerto Dining Room.  Sheri is actually Janice and she and her husband Jim live in Southern California.

Tonight’s dinner in the dining room featured Caribbean Cuisine.  The menu gave this information about Johnnycakes.  Perhaps originally called “journey cakes,” johnnycakes are made of cornmeal, dating back to 18th century New England.  Brought to the Caribbean by migrant workers in the 19th century, they were enthusiastically adopted and are still widely found through the islands.  Usually deep-fried, they may be sweet or savory, and can be eaten plain, or with jam, butter, or cheese.  In the Dominican Republic, they are also called “yaniqueques” and are traditionally eaten at the beach.  On this journey, we invite you to sample this historic cake with your Bahamian Fish Stew.

For our entree, we each chose Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding and Gravy with horseradish cream, green peas, and roast potatoes.

November 2, 2015 – At Sea

We woke up to sunny skies and temperatures predicted to reach 87 degrees F.  We continue to be on Caribbean or Atlantic Time which is one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time.  We have not changed our watches from Eastern Daylight Savings Time.  When we return to Fort Lauderdale, we will gain an hour and finally Fall Back. 

Each morning new Sudoku puzzles are available in the Library located all the way aft on Deck 7 port side.  So far, Henry completes his puzzle well before I do at the breakfast table in the Concerto dining room on Deck 6 midship while we wait for our breakfast.  This morning I had Eggs Benedict (very yummy) and Henry had pancakes.  The Eggs Benedict are not on the breakfast menu, but the waiters let you know that they are always available.  Henry asked for berries, but they did not have any to offer for breakfast as they have had in the past.

At 10:30 am we left our cabin for Club 6 and the Meet & Greet for Cruise Critic members who indicated that they would attend.  It was fun to put some names and faces together.  We met with Joy & Merle Saunders and Vicki & Bill Steyn to discuss using the public bus to go to a beach in Antigua.  The six of us decided to meet at 9:30 am at the International Cafe on Deck 5 on November 4th to walk together to the bus station for our adventure in Antigua.  Captain Dino Sagani spoke to our group as did Cruise Director Lisa Ball.  Captain Sagani said that he wished instead of Cruise Critic, the organization was named Cruise Enthusiasts.  Enthusiasts is a better description.  The Captain was born in Trieste on the Northeast Adriatic coast of Italy.  He served in the Italian Navy and joined Princess Cruises in 1995.  He has been a Captain since 2007.  Lisa Ball toured with an acting company and performed on cruise ships before joining Princess Cruises in 2001 as part of the entertainment team.  She became a Cruise Director in 2007 for the first time on the Emerald Princess.

     

After the Meet & Greet, we had lunch in the Concerto Dining Room on Deck 6.  The dining room is only open on sea days.  Others went to one of many other places open for lunch on board the ship — the Traditional British Pub Lunch in the Wheelhouse Bar on Deck 7, the International Cafe on Deck 5, Alfredo’s on Deck 6, the Trident Grill on Deck 16, Prego Pizzeria on Deck 16, and Horizon Court on Deck 16.  For a nominal fee, reservations can be made for lunch at the Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar on Deck 7 midship.  The room service menu offers soup, sandwiches, salads, entrees, and desserts.  There is a $3 delivery charge for pizza to your cabin.

Tonight was the first Formal Night. As Elite, we were able to order a selection of pre-dinner hors d’oeuvres that were delivered to our cabin.  One item no longer available is the chocolate covered strawberries.  Our cruise consultant Kim sent us chocolate covered strawberries as a Sail Away treat that was much appreciated along with a bottle of chardonnay.  The pre-dinner hors d’oeuvres in Club 6 included smoked salmon with toast points as well as cheese and crackers and vegetables and dip.  One of our favorite bartenders, Robert, made our Cosmopolitan cocktails.

      

The production show in the Princess Theater was Colors of the World.  The costumes were colorful and the Princess singers and dancers were energetic.

  

After the show, we went to the Concerto Dining Room for any time dining and were seated at a table with another couple and one lady who was traveling by herself.  Margaret lives in Auckland, New Zealand.  Her 25-year old grandson is house sitting while she is traveling.  Before the cruise she took a bus trip that ended in New Orleans that was called The Sights and Sounds of the South or The Tastes and Sounds of the South.  She wasn’t quite sure, but said that the tour was wonderful.  This might be something that we would be interested in doing.

Dinner was delicious.  Below is the menu with pictures.

In Celebration of our 50th Anniversary, Princess Cruises invites you on a special culinary journey through the decades.  Each exquisitely prepared course represents a modern take on popular cuisine during a time in our history.  Enjoy this memorable culinary experience, and thank you for celebrating with Princess Cruises.

From the Sixties & Seventies – Nouveau Classic
Duck Terrine, Apricot Preserves Brioche & Porcini Mushroom Cappuccino Soup

From the Eighties & Nineties – Californian Fusion & Mediterranean
Panache of Greens, Balsamic & Walnut Vinaigrette

Intermezzo – Blueberry Mojito Sorbet, Candied Lemon

The Two Thousands – Modern Classical
Malabar Peppered Beef Tournedos with roasted onion tart, horseradish jus

 The Twenty-Tens – New Retro Era
Chocolate Journeys – Chocolate Raspberry Mousse with Vanilla Creme brulee and Crunchy Shortbread
While study in the South of France, master chocolatier and pastry chef Norman Love became enamored with this dessert, crafted with Guittard chocolate and raspberry, two of pastry’s most exquisite ingredients.  Chef Love has created a heart-shaped confection inspired by the Princess Cruises Love Boat dessert – a perennial crowd pleaser.  This extraordinary treat is from our Chocolate Journeys program and was designed exclusively for Princess Cruises by Chef Love in celebration of our 50th Anniversary.

The dessert was heavenly!  After dinner, Henry played some in the Casino and I walked to the Vista Lounge for the second show by entertainer and piano player Perry Grant.  It was a good show with Las Vegas glitz, humor, and excellent music.

 

November 1, 2015 – Princess Cays

Today is sunny and 82 degrees.  There are no waves or high winds to prevent tenders from going ashore.  Our transit last night from Fort Lauderdale to Eleuthera in the Bahamas was so smooth that it was difficult to tell if the ship was moving.  The Royal Princess will be at anchor off Princess Cays from 9:00 am to All Aboard with the last tenders leaving the shore for the ship at 3:00 pm.

I walked to the Library on Deck 7 aft to pick up Sudoku puzzles from the Library and then met Henry at the entrance to the Concerto Dining Room on Deck 6 midship for breakfast.  Usually for lunch and dinner in the dining room we share a table so that we can meet different people.  For breakfast, we ask for a table for just the two of us.

We settled into our cabin and took it easy today without going ashore.  I changed the cabin door decorations to Fall.

We met a couple from England in Club 6 who have done a lot of traveling including cruising.  They have cruised on all the different Cunard ships.  They like to do segments of the World Cruises.  It was interesting listening to their stories.  Henry has decided that he likes Cosmopolitans on ice, but I still prefer them straight up in a martini glass.  Cosmopolitans are one of the specialty cocktails in Club 6 from 5 pm to 7 pm.

We saw the comedian Eric Lyden last night at the Welcome Aboard Show and wanted to see his comedy show in the Princess Theater at 6:15 pm.  He is very sarcastic and his humor tickled Henry’s funny bone more than mine, but he had his funny moments.  After the show, we had dinner in the Concerto Dining Room sharing a table with six other passengers.  We didn’t have to wait too long to be seated, but we did have to wait for the waiters to get organized to serve their second table of the evening.  Both nights dinner has taken about 2 1/2 hours and that is just a little too long.  The waiter could not find our wine from the previous evening.  We did not get a paper receipt when we left the table, so now we know to always get a receipt from the waiter if we leave the table with an unfinished bottle of wine.  I wonder if this is a policy for Any Time Dining or if this is also the same policy in Traditional Dining in the Allegro Dining Room when you have the same table and the same waiter each evening.

After dinner, we stopped by the Casino so that Henry could play one of his favorite slot machines, Dragon III.  We then decided to call it an early evening.

Embarkation – October 31, 2015

We left home two days before embarkation to drive to Florida.  The first day, we had a nice lunch at the Sweet Tea Grille in Port Wentworth, Georgia.  We stopped for the first night in St. Augustine, Florida and enjoyed a visit and dinner with a friend whom we have kept in touch since we met on a 2012 Voyage of the Vikings cruise.  The Italian restaurant, Cucina Giovanni, was close to Lavon’s home and our motel.  The next day we drove the final 300 miles and stayed in a motel south of the Fort Lauderdale Airport at exit 23.  Complimentary parking was a deciding factor in our choice.

Friday evening, October 30th, we picked up a couple who were staying at the Snooze, a boutique hotel in downtown Fort Lauderdale, and the four of us met another couple who had a rental car at Coconuts, a restaurant on the Inland Waterway.  We had reservations outside and the sunset was beautiful.  Coconut shrimp was the popular entree ordered at our table.  It was lovely to meet Vicki and Bill from California and Roger and Val from England after connecting with them on Cruise Critic in the months prior to our cruise.

 

Saturday morning, the shuttle service was a little more ($10 per person each way) and less organized than we have had at other hotels.  Tickets could not be purchased until 8:30 am, but were sold at 8:15 am and the 10 o’clock shuttle started to load luggage and passengers at 9:30 am and was ready to leave at 9:45 am.

It didn’t take long for the shuttle to arrive at the pier where the Royal Princess was docked at Port Everglades.  We found long lines waiting outside in the heat for both regular boarding and Priority Boarding.  The doors did not open until 11:am and after checking in and obtaining our cruise cards, we waited in the Elite Lounge until 11:45 am to board the ship.  We agreed that next time, we would try to arrive a little later to avoid waiting in line outside the cruise terminal building.

We did have time to unpack our roll-on luggage and shoulder bags before going to the Main Dining Room for lunch.  The lunch menu in the MDR on embarkation day is always limited but very nice.  I had a shrimp appetizer and a salmon entree.  Henry had a salad and roast beef.  We purchased the Silver Wine Package.  Twelve bottles with 15% gratuity was $276 or $23 a bottle.  This allows us to select any twelve bottles of wine on the wine menu without additional cost as long as the bottles are under $30.

When we got back to our cabin located on the starboard side of the ship forward of the forward elevators – B205 (on Baja deck; Deck 11), all of our luggage had arrived.  Muster at 3:15 pm was in the Princess Theater.  We were able to unpack, nest the luggage, and put them under the bed and in the corner of our closet before the Muster Drill.  We also met our cabin steward, Max.  His real name is Maksym and his home is Lithuania.  He is married without children.  This is his second contract with Princess Cruises.  He seems very nice.

               

We took Spot with us to the Muster Drill.

After Muster, we returned to the cabin and put away our life preservers.  I changed into my costume for Sail Away.  We met some of the other Cruise Critic passengers from our roll call who decided to dress up for Halloween on Deck 16 aft by the Outrigger bar on the port side of the ship.  Deanna and Brad were Alice in Wonderland and the Cheshire Cat.  Janet and Gary were Wilma and Fred Flintstone.  Sandy (our roll call organizer) was a spider and her husband Gary was a birder complete with a chirping bird.  Joy and Merle were Santa’s Elf and Santa.  Vicki and Bill were Saloon Girl and Cowboy.  Henry wore his orange Oktoberfest shirt for the occasion.  Granby was Cruella de Vil.

 

The ship’s horn played the Love Boat theme song as sailed out of Port Everglades.

Club 6 is where Platinum, Elite, and Suite passengers are invited between 5 pm and 7 pm each evening for special cocktails and pre-dinner hors d’oeuvres. In addition to vegetables and dip and cheese and crackers each night, there is a rotation of special hors d’oeuvres.
Guacamole with Tortilla Chips
Beef Steak Tartare with Melba Toast
Carved to order Smoked Salmon with Toast Points
Mexican Salsa with Tortilla Chips
Wheel of Stilton with Port Wine reduction
Herb marinated goat’s cheese with crisp rosemary flatbread
Assorted sushi with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger
Shrimp Fountain with American Cocktail Sauce

Some of the special $5 plus 15% gratuity cocktails include:  Cosmopolitan, Rob Roy, Mogito, Margarita, Port Wine, and Chairman of the Board.

We had 6 pm reserved dining that we thought would be first seating in the traditional dining room, Allegro on Deck 6 aft.  First seating in traditional dining is now 5:45 pm and late is 8 pm.  Instead of Allegro we were assigned to Concerto on deck 6 midship at 5:30 pm.  We sat with two other very nice couples, but told them that we would be changing to Any Time dining to accommodate our schedule.  One factor is the Show Times.  There are now three shorter shows:  6:45 pm, 815 pm, and 10:30 pm.  The 6:45 pm show is not as crowded as the 8:15 show that is the most popular.  The 10:30 pm show is just too late.  So far, we are enjoying going to the 6:45 pm show from Club 6 and then on to dinner.  Concerto opens to Any Time dining at 7:30 pm and the Symphony dining room on Deck 5 midship is open for Any Time dining from 5 pm to 10 pm.  We can call the dining number around 8 am to reserve a time for dinner or just show up and wait a bit for a table.

After dinner, we sat in Crooner’s on Deck 7 to listen to Piano Entertainer Perry Grant from 8:15 to 10 pm and then watched some of the Halloween Dance Party in the Piazza on Deck 5.  Two of the couples from Cruise Critic were in the Top 5 for Halloween Costumes:  Wilma and Fred Flintstone and Santa and his Elf.

The ship was decorated with a lot of black and orange balloons interspersed with cob webs.  Many of the crew dressed up for Halloween and seemed to have a good time.  Carved pumpkins were also on display.