laurieal

It’s not going to be a very long overview. Outlets at the desk: Outlets on only one side of the bed. In my stateroom, if I’m facing the bed, it’s on the left side. In the bathroom:

It’s been a quiet day so far. I finished my book and then headed to Central Park. I wanted to check out the library, which I had no idea existed until this morning. There were several people inside, so I didn’t take any pictures. I also wanted a small bite to eat. I got a mushroom, mozzarella and pesto sandwich with a small bag of chips. Not sure how it happened, but I accidentally ended up in the salad line again. The sandwich was delicious. I sat with a couple of people who shared their bench with me and they told me that all the sandwiches they’ve had from Park Café have been delicious. There was a tuna one that I want to try eventually. The bench-sharing people also told me that Diamond members and above get one free specialty coffee loaded on their SeaPass every day. I found that strange, because that was the second time someone had told me that today. It turns out that I have been waiting in line in the Crown Lounge for nothing! Eager that test that new info, I got a large caramel iced latté that I was charged 0$ for.

I would do anything for this cat.

Personally, I like it! I have to keep it in mind when I plan my feedings, but I like feeling like I get a full, regular night of sleep.

The Solarium was very peaceful, but I was getting a bit chilly with the wind in the shade so I moved to my regular spot next to the Lime & Coconut. Except that things were slightly wrong and unsettling. And that’s how I discovered that there is a second Lime & Coconut on deck 16. I wasn’t planning on moving, because really there isn’t any rule that says I have to be sitting in the exact same spot every time. Nope. Too weird. Had to move. On the way to my usual spot, I passed some people exercising, which made me crave one of those delicious doughnuts. I also found a tiny duck that had fallen on the floor. Aaaah. Now, that’s my usual view! And now, please excuse me while I finish my book. It was distracting me from my review all day yesterday and I ended up having to post a bunch of stuff before I went to be. I will finish this one and then pick a less stimulating book.

Good morning! I woke up with a bit of an upset stomach this morning, and really I don’t know why that could be. Sure, I’m ingesting at least three times my normal amount of calories in fat, sugar and alcohol. And maybe the few vegetables I’ve eaten have been either fried or covered in cream. But is that really a reason for my body to be rebelling? I started my morning, as usual, by standing in line for a cappuccino in the Crown Lounge. Here are the food offerings for this morning. It was my first time noticing the little balls of cheese (behind the huge slices of orange cheese). Maybe next time when there isn’t a rebellion going on. I took my beverage up to deck 16 and found a regular table in the Solarium. Score! I met a couple of lovely people who recognized me from my review and they gave me some hot tips about new places to discover around the ship. I thought they had set up a bouncing house on the lower level, but they’re just doing maintenance on one of the hot tubs.

I’m not sure about Christian, but if I go back to Playmakers (maybe for a cookie… 🤔) I’ll see if I can spot him.

Cat update. Look at those empty eyes. Clearly she still has not had a turn with the single brain cell that all orange cats share.

Thanks for joining me! Welcome to the present.

My plan was to stay on deck 4 after the show and go gamble my Diamond Plus credit, which I think is 6$? But my account was showing 0$ and the guy at the counter said I had to use it on one of the first two days. Is that true? I thought you got extra credits if you used them on day 1 or 2, but I’m pretty sure we gambled later than that on my Radiance cruise. There was a Shock Waves set coming soon, so I headed to Music Hall. I started by checking out the lower level on deck 8 which was full yesterday. I actually preferred the upper level, so I went there instead and found a good stop from which I could see the band and the dance floor without having to watch the TVs. It was a really fun set with songs from different styles and decades. The people dancing on the lower level seemed to be having a great time. I got a Strawberry Field again, because it’s just so good. That’s water in the second glass, because hydration is important. I was having too much fun, so I stayed for their second set instead of going to Friends trivia. I wanted to see the Elton John tribute in the Schooner Bar, but it was absolute madness over there and I took that as my cue that I should retire for the night. I can’t say that I was hungry, but the pizza was right there and the line wasn’t long. I’m the mother of a bear, now.

After my late lunch/early dinner, I went up to deck 15 to check out the accessibility of Oasis Dunes. There were several families playing and I didn’t want to disrupt their games, so I put my projet on hold for a bit. A little girl approached me and asked what was wrong with me. I told her I was struggling with being confronted with my parents’ mortality and that I fear it will be just me caring for them eventually. She seemed confused. (I didn’t actually say that to a child. I told her my legs don’t work and she said maybe someone will be able to fix them, which was really cute) (I swear I didn’t traumatize that child. At least not voluntarily) There was a Jennifer Singer show tonight in the theatre. It was almost exactly the same show that I saw on the Wonder, but it’s a good show so I was happy to be there. Yes, the angle changed mid-show. There was a lady enthusiastically dancing too close to the stairs and it was driving me crazy that she could seriously hurt herself. Really, how much more of an elder child can I be?

After the show, I felt the need to get as far away as possible from that puppet mouth for humans, so I fled to the Boardwalk. Also, I wanted a late lunch/early dinner at Playmaker’s. There was a Premiere League match on the tv, so the place was pretty busy. It felt like being in Ted Lasso with all the people shouting at the tv. The waitress recommended the Knockout Punch for my drink and I had the Truffle Burger. I’m still not 100% sure that’s the burger I got, but either way it was delicious once I removed the surprise pickles.

This is Laurie reporting from the Oasis Dunes. I wasn’t able to do the whole course, because they are storing some chairs on one of the holes. The only challenge I see is if his ball falls in the “river” on the first hole. It’s a bit of a step to get in there and there’s a dolphin in the way laughing at you. The other holes are similar to what I remember from the Harmony. Dark green thicker surface for around the course and pale green thinner surface for the actual holes. I think you’re all set for mini golf!

Thanks. I hate it 😂

Guess where I am right now 👀 I really like it here. It’s not as crowded as on deck 8, the TVs help if you’re not in an ideal spot and bar service has been good. My only complaint is the lack of washrooms on deck 9.

A quest! Huzzah! I had a look earlier and while most of it seems navigable in a manual wheelchair, one of the holes had a kind of river involved that’s pretty deep. There were several families there playing, but I’ll go back later and try to roll through the whole course.

I was offered to book the Chef’s Table at 50% off on Anthem in 2022 and I jumped on the opportunity. I had an amazing meal with amazing company. I’m not doing it this time, but I’d be interested in doing it again in the future, especially if it’s on sale. All the food pictures you have posted from Virgin make me thing I could justify the higher price of the cruise if I’m going to be eating that well the whole time.

So there I was, back at the ventriloquist show. It’s not that I have something against ventriloquists, but I am not the biggest fan of puppets. Especially when they are meant to be human-like. Like that one. It’s terrifying. Ronn Lucas’ puppet that he has with him reminds me of a Muppet, so not scary at all. The show was, again, very funny. Until he did something that will haunt me for the rest of my days. He returned Willy to his crate and asked for a volunteer. A volunteer that he would turn into a puppet. Oh, no no no no. That is nightmare fuel. I’m glad my zoom couldn’t zoom in any further. He had a fake puppet mouth that he could control and I was in hell. (I’m exaggerating. The show was really funny, but also now I can’t stop thinking about the Royal Theatre being full of human/puppet hybrids and I am not here for that)

Day 4 Compass

Nothing too exciting to report, but it’s been a lovely sea day so far. After breakfast, I went to my spot on deck 16 for some sunshine and ocean views. I wanted to try something new, so I got a Rum Punch. It was excellent. A lot of people were enjoying the outdoor decks and the pool. Loads of people were around on loungers reading or napping. It’s good to see everyone enjoying their vacation. Eventually, I ordered a Painkiller. We had our second time change, today. At 14:00, suddenly it was 15:00 and I left my spot for the matinee show of ventriloquist Ronn Lucas.

Food is still looking good! Is everything included or are they specialty restaurants? The Test Kitchen seems right up my alley. I think I would have loved the mushroom and scallops dishes.

I got a slightly later start this morning. Like the previous days, I started my day at the Crown Lounge for a coffee. There was a line, again, for the coffee machine. On the Anthem TA back in 2022 they had loaded a voucher for one specialty coffee per day on our SeaPass card and I wish we had that for this crossing. Since I don’t have anything planned food-wise for my day, I went to the Dining Room for a larger breakfast. I wasn’t planning on starting with a doughnut, but he offered. I didn’t want to be rude. I got the French toast with bacon on the side. The menu said crispy bacon and it lived up to the description. The cherry sauce thing was way too artificially sweet for me, but it was fine. This Canadian came prepared. It was an excellent breakfast, but now I feel a bit too full. I’m going to find a nice spot outside to read and maybe rest my eyes a little.

Aft is looking good, I think! Thanks for sharing!

Internet wasn’t cooperating last night and I ended up falling asleep, but there wasn’t much left to say about my evening. After the Shock Waves set, I had to cross the ship to return to my stateroom, so I went down to the Promenade. The Bionic Bar was quiet, as usual. The rest of the Promenade was hopping! I was considering pizza, but I wasn’t actually hungry and just wanted something cheesy and greasy to finish the night. The line was quite long so I passed. Boleros seemed like the place to be. It was packed and people seemed to be having a great time.

After dinner, I had some free time before my reservation for the Aqua Show. Since we were now going at full speed towards Bermuda, I figured it would probably be cancelled, so I figured the 80s set at Music Hall would be fun. They were doing Rock-a-Rokie, which I had seen in the app but had no idea what it was. It’s like karaoke, but with a live band. The lower level of Music Hall was completely packed, so I went upstairs and found a spot at a counter. Music Hall has one of my favourite drinks, the Strawberry Field, so I obviously had to get one. When the band Shock Waves started their 80s set, they showed it on the big screens upstairs, so it felt like being part of the action. At one point, I was joined by some strangers who decided I was now part of their party. They had gone to their Aqua Show reservation earlier, but it had been cancelled so I decided to stay in the Music Hall instead of heading to the Boardwalk. I ended up staying for Shock Waves’ 80s set and the next one, which was dance music. They had a very fun energy and I will be keeping an eye out for them in the schedule from now on.