MaryBethV

Here are the results of my Shrimp Daniele attempt. The sauce was not nearly as light or creamy as the original, but the flavors were there. Thank you jedokids for the ingredient list and hats off to Chef Dragan and his crew - this is not an easy dish!

24 minutes ago, adonisr said:

MaryBeth

 

How do you watch The Cruise?  I googled it and all i find is it's on a British channel not available here in the states.

This link was posted in another thread here on the Princess forums: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn6Du-De0M8&list=PLIOVd9Uol925seb8CJDgw6J85ASScWfUK 

It is addicting. Princess really could make bank on selling DVD sets of this here in the US.

I have no idea if this will turn out, but my kitchen smells SO GOOD. Wish I could share yummy smells with all of you!!!

Shrimp Daniele attempt in progress - pray for me! If I don't return it is because of ALL THE BUTTER. 😂

We walked in and headed to the left until there were less people. Since other large ships had docked before we did, it was moderately busy. I knew they would be leaving before we did though and the crowds would thin out in a little while. 

I think I found my laptop screensaver until the next cruise...

We found a great spot, laid out our towels, and DH and DS went to rent us and umbrella. I think the umbrella was $32 - with $20 back when you returned it.

Time for a swim - 

Closer to shore we saw a little stingray right near our feet! We watched it bury itself in the sand and then swim off - so fun. Sorry, no photos. I did get some video of it, but it isn't very clear due to the case I had my camera in.

There is food and drinks available at the bar near the entrance. We ordered drinks earlier from a server who was walking the beach and taking orders. Later on, DH and DS went to get some food. DS had a burger and fries. DH, DD, and I each split a chicken tenders & fries - just needed something to hold us over until we got back on the ship. Good food. Great drinks! 🙂 

Painkiller - a perfectly refreshing drink to enjoy in paradise. 

Time to head back "home". First glimpse of the Regal! (note: There was some hurricane damage as in the foreground of this photo, but overall things were looking well recovered in the areas we saw.)

And the NCL Bliss was already leaving port.

Sad story: Upon arriving at the fenced gate to be admitted back to the ship/dock area - there was a family of four there that the Bliss had left without. 😢 I'm not sure of their itinerary - but I truly hope that their stop the next day was Tortola which would at least only be a ferry ride away. Have you ever witnessed someone being left by a cruise ship?

Well, the kids didn't order room service breakfast - so they went down to the International Cafe to eat and we met them there before getting off the ship. 

All this looking and photographing IC yummy food - I had to try SOMETHING. 😋

Wow, so yummy!

And had to grab a cappuccino to go with it at the coffee bar...

Have any of you watched any episodes of "The Cruise"? While sipping cappuccinos we spotted engineer Scott Grayson walking by (excuse the blurry photo!) - it was like seeing a celebrity. 😂 DH turns to me and says "Should we thank him for the massage chairs by Gelato?" Oh my word - I can't take him anywhere!

On a side note in the off-case anyone from Princess is reading this... WHY do you not sell DVD episodes of The Cruise in the gift shop?!?? I promise you would not be able to keep them in stock!

Time to get off the ship! Our plans were to catch a taxi to Magens Bay. We walked out into the Havensight outdoor mall area and were able to get right on one of those open air "buses" that are like a trolley car retrofitted onto the back of a truck.

I had done my research and warned DH and kids to hang on. It was definitely a fast & wild ride, but (with a death grip on my phone) I was thankfully able to capture a few photos.

Another reason doing research in advance pays off... When the driver all of a sudden pulls over on the side of the road and all you see is jungle - then asks everyone to get out their cash and pay him - you know this is just what they do. A bit odd. A little creepy. Why they can't collect the fare when people get on the bus, I have no idea. At least he smiled. 😄

Then, like two minutes later, he stopped just short of the entrance and had us give him the $5 each for admittance to Magens Bay (which he paid all at once for us). 

Coming up... one of the top 10 beaches in the world! 

Wednesday, February 6th | St. Thomas

I woke up fairly early and peeked outside to see that we were approaching the Virgin Islands. It was truly one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen in my life. God's artistry was on full display!

"PSST - Honey - you have to get up and come see this!!!" 

The colors changed by the minute as the sun rose and the clouds passed over. One minute bright and dramatic & the next - almost monochromatic.

Room service arrived - time for breakfast on the balcony (hot egg/ham breakfast sandwiches are in the foil wrappers) & a little light reading about St. Thomas.

As we pulled into the harbor I was so thankful we chose a balcony on the Port side. What a spectacular view!

I spy the NCL Bliss.

Water Island

Somebody - pinch me! 

14 hours ago, jedokids said:

Hello-

   I looked in our Princess Cookbook -- the sauce for the Shrimp Danielle - Cafe De Paris Butter --

3/4 cup butter

1 T shallots

1 clove garlic minced

1 T parsley, chopped

1 tsp mustard

1 egg yolk

1 dash Worcestshire Sauce 

1/4 Burgundy Wine

salt & pepper

Hope this helps! 

Enjoy!

Thanks for the review & pictures - 2 weeks until we are there too!!!

 

Oh my goodness - I love you!!! 😍 Thank you! I was way off in my ingredient guessing lol.

Well I guess I know what I'm making for dinner tonight... 

58 minutes ago, Flowergirl56 said:

When you have anytime dining are you assigned a restaurant or can you choose where to eat?

The Symphony Dining Room was anytime dining for the full dinner time. The Concerto Dining Room (we ate there one night when there was a longer line at the Symphony DR) offered anytime dining after 7:30pm.

Formal night dinner! Antonio was our server. 🙂 

Night 3 Dinner Menu: Symphony Dining Room

Tapioca Fruit Salad: DS didn't order an appetizer, so Antonio brought him this. 😄 DS thought it was very good.

Shredded Duck and Pork Rillettes: This wasn't what I was expecting. For some reason I though it would be a hot dish (should have asked), but it was good. The duck/pork had a lot of flavor and the port-infused red onions were a nice compliment to the dish (they resemble the pickled red onions I make at home).

Crabmeat Quiche: DH ordered this and I stole a bite. It was delish. The crab flavor came through and it was baked well, not underdone and not dried out.

 Beef Tenderloin: This was my main entree (DH and I also shared a Shrimp Danielle - I don't even feel bad. They were both so good I'd order them again. Might skip lunch next time though!!!). It was delicious. There was so much flavor in the sauce and the beef was a perfect medium. The only "throw away" on this dish was the potato beignet which was dried out & more resembled a hockey puck than a potato. 

Shrimp Danielle: This was our extra entree to share and DS also ordered this. OH MY GOODNESS - YUM. Perfectly cooked jumbo shrimp and the sauce was amazing. It tasted like it was made with creme fraiche... and maybe chives, tarragon, and a touch of lemon? Totally guessing and I WILL be trying to re-create it at home! If anyone has the recipe - please send it my way!!!

Leg of Lamb: DH ordered this and Antonio offered the mint jelly on the side. The jelly looked a bit radioactive 😄 - but DH thought it was good with the lamb. 

Mmm - time for dessert! Apologies for forgetting to snap a photo of the dessert menu.  

Chocolate Hazelnut Bar: I ordered this, DH ordered the creme brûlée, and DS didn't order anything. Antonio brought DH and DS one anyways. Haha - love him! There was not a bite of any of them left.

Creme Brûlée: 

DS went to meet up with DD (who didn't want to come with us to dinner - her loss!) and they went to the teen lounge. 

We headed to Crooner's for some piano music and martinis. Olena Konstantinova was the pianist. She was immensely talented and we purchased one of her CDs right then and there. It is my favorite vacation souvenir ever! If you love piano music like we do you can check out her YouTube Channel or purchase/download her music on CDbaby. 

Tropitini & Hacienda (not our favorites)

Golden Nugget & Ultimate Cosmo (both very good)

Time to call it a night - tomorrow is St. Thomas! So excited! When we cruised on the Norwegian Escape last year St. Thomas was on our original itinerary. Our entire itinerary was changed to a Western Caribbean route after the hurricanes, so this will be our first visit. 🙂 Before falling into bed - we placed our breakfast room service order on the app. So easy.

Day 3 Princess Patter:

A little later we met DS for a late lunch at Alfredo's. Initial service was within a few minutes of being seated.

Antipasto Mari e Monti: It was ok - not nearly as good as the other antipasto that I ordered on embarkation day though.

Pizza Margherita: DS and I each ordered one of these. Note the sweet basil in the menu description? Well, it didn't come with any. UM, SAME THING AS A CHEESE PIZZA 🙄 They did bring me some basil upon request and I added it myself. It was ok - but I wouldn't order it again. When I think of Margherita pizza I think of fresh tomatoes, basil, and a few thick slices of fresh mozzarella. 

Pizza Tarantina: DH took a chance and ordered this. It was different (I had a piece), but not something either of us would order again.

DS went to find DD and they headed to the teen lounge. DH and I went to the Piazza to watch the live painting demonstration by guest artist, Stephen Fishwick. He is very talented and it was fun to watch!

While watching the painting, we were sitting in the chairs/tables right outside of Gelato. We dubbed these the "free spa" chairs because they must sit right above part of the ship's engine or something. Can't afford the spa? Sit here and get a free vibrating back massage! 😂

While in front of Gelato, one must try some - so we shared a mint chocolate chip scoop. Yum!

After the painting was finished we headed up to the room to relax on the balcony a little and then get ready for our first formal night. Of course we had to catch the sunset before heading down.

Wow.

I have to say the threads that frequently pop up on the Princess board here regarding attire expectations stressed us out a bit. We don't even wear dresses/jacket & tie to church usually! DH and DS brought dress pants and button-down dress shirts for the two formal nights. DD and I brought a few dresses. Still not sure I like packing like we were attending multiple weddings... for vacation. But "when in Rome"... From looking around - there were many men in jackets, but enough in just dress shirts that DH and DS didn't feel out of place. There were women in dresses, though I didn't see anything I'd call full-on formal. Also - the first formal night seemed more formal than the second one later in the week where I saw many more men in shirts and even polo shirts, and many women in dress pants paired with a dressy blouse/top.

We found a spot at the railing on deck 6 to watch the champagne waterfall. While waiting I took a few photos of the beautiful decor in the Piazza.

A band started to play - it was almost time. 🙂 

Lexi, the cruise director, looked gorgeous - loved her dress! She introduced the captain, who introduced the ship's officers.

We bought our daughter a Stanley Bear last week and put it on her bed the last night of the cruise. And I got the "bobble" magnet Stanley which I gave to a good friend of mine this morning because I knew it would make her smile. 🙂 

Tuesday, February 5th | Sea Day

Good morning! Yawn! Stretch... SO nice to sleep in a little. I think it was 8:30ish. Days at home start before 6:00 so 8:30 is a lot of extra sleep! Hey! Let's go to breakfast in the main dining room! We text the kids to let them know where we are headed... and DS texts back to inform us it is really 9:30. Sure enough - we forgot to set our clocks ahead an hour.

Oops.

Well, it was another gorgeous day. Are you tired of all my water + blue sky pictures yet? No? Great! 😉 

OK, Plan B. We headed up to the buffet and went all the way aft to the outdoor seating area. Such a great place to have breakfast - it became a favorite of ours. Even with the broken coffee maker (that stayed broken, without a sign on it, for the rest of the week 😒). The breakfast food at the buffet was really good - so many options! The kids even joined us towards the end and we all grabbed a few Pina Colada mocktails at the bar there to round out our breakfast. I love vacation.

We headed back to our room and hung out on our huge balcony (Mr. Denn Mark had opened the divider between our balconies for us) and read for a while. I could do this every. single. day.

Since we had shade on our balcony, after a while we decided to attempt to hunt down two lounge chairs on a sun deck. On a sea day. 😬 We ended up on the tippy top deck, but found a great spot overlooking the Retreat Pool.

Before reaching lobster status, we headed back down. The main pool area was packed.

Trying to find our way around, we ended up at a dead end on the sun deck, so we headed up the stairs to where the running track is.

Hey! We can see if the kids are on the teen lounge deck! Of course, we aren't those parents that would ever wave and embarrass our kids... 😎. However, no kids in sight.

It's ok - we can embarrass them later.

All this walking around requires another Pina Colada mocktail. Calories don't count on vacation.

10 minutes ago, bmc alabama said:

We will be on the Regal next month and are enjoying your posts!

 

It looks like you still have the barrel chair in your room!

Yes we did. For us, it got in the way more than anything. The desk chair would have been sufficient. Though I can see why people might like it if they read in their room or like to sit in a chair to enjoy a meal in their room. We used our balcony chairs or just sat on the bed most of the time we were in the room.

After enjoying a glass of wine on our balcony during sail away and a super-way-too-short nap, we went to dinner with the kids.

Night 2 Dinner Menu (Italian night): Symphony Dining Room

Sautéed Sea Scallops and Shrimp - good with mild flavors. Shrimp and scallops were cooked well.

Spaghetti with Meatballs - DS said it was very good!

Stuffed Breaded Chicken Breast - DH and DD both ordered this and said it was well done and flavorful.

Dessert Menu:

Tiramisu - pretty good Tiramisu. 🙂 I personally prefer versions with more of a bold coffee liqueur and espresso flavor, but it was creamy and we all enjoyed it.

The kids went to the teen lounge and DH and I went to watch the fountain show and experience our first MUTS (Movies under the Stars). Tonight's showing was Crazy Rich Asians - clean, romantic, and it will make you laugh and cry! Loved it.

Good night! Big plans for our first Sea Day tomorrow are to sleep, eat, lay in the sun... repeat. 

Day 2 Princess Patter

After lunch we headed back to the tender, but first checked out the North/main beach areas.

Not quite as picturesque here... and it smelled like septic so we wondered if they were having issues with the "open" bathrooms as well.

More crowded, but still beautiful!

On our return tender ride there was a cute, petite Cuban woman who had evidently enjoyed the beverages on the island and chose to serenade everyone VERY loudly all the way back. At one point she decided to dance to her own music... which presented a danger to others and to herself. At which point we noticed that Antonella (the teen club director) was right in front of us on the tender - she turned around an authoritatively told the lady to please take a seat. Antonella may be all fun and games 95% of the time, but I was now assured she was capable of handling any teenager should they get out of line! 🤣

Christof was directing a painting exercise (where the painters switched paintings every 60 seconds) in the Piazza. He managed to say something nice (and funny) about every single painting. He is definitely doing the job he was born to do I think. 

Our kids hadn't eaten lunch yet - so we went with them to the buffet. Not a bad view!

Goodbye Princess Cays - we look forward to visiting you again when you are fully up and running!

We loved the music on this ship. This duo - a violinist and cellist - were very nice to listen to.

The beautiful sunset (never gets old) we caught just before heading to dinner.

Monday, February 4th | Princess Cays

Monday feels like the real start of vacation - because NO WORK!  We slept in a little (no sunrise pics today) and woke up to the most gorgeous morning…

We had breakfast from room service that we ordered the night before (so convenient and they offer hot breakfast sandwiches as part of the complimentary menu!) and looked over the Princess Cays info packet.

Time to tender ashore. I love it when we tender at least once during a cruise because you get such a stunning view of the ship. 

Once off the tender we went to the right, over the bridge and to the south-side beach area (Little Bay) which we were told was quieter. The crew was still unloading a huge amount of supplies.

First off - the positive. The beach area was beautiful and tranquil. Clear turquoise water, lovely views of the ship in the distance - and the further down the beach you walked the more it seemed as though you had it all to yourself. There was plenty of natural shade available here and we probably won’t bother with clamshells at all next time.

It was super easy to claim our two clamshells: simply turn your ticket in at the turquoise painted "Beach Cabana Rental" building which you come to first after going over the bridge and then go select your clamshells. An attendant comes along and sets them up for you.

It is fun to look for shells along the way and a quick photo is a great way to 'bring them home with us'.

The water was crystal clear and fairly warm. Fabulous day for a swim! Do bring water shoes as you need to walk over the rocks to get out to the sandy area.

Now for the not so great - after a while we realized that the one public bathroom that wasn't working was the one right behind us... and it was the only one on the south side of the island. Ugh. No lights. No running water. No flushing toilets. NO OUT OF ORDER SIGN. *Carrying disinfectant wipes absolutely everywhere comes in handy once again!* No Wifi (which we knew from the letter) - but thankfully our international cellular signal was good enough to text the kids back on the ship. They decided not to come because of the bathroom situation - though we could have gone to the North side with them but would have had to ditch our clamshells.

We are still glad that we were able to go to Princess Cays and are grateful for all the extra work the crew put in to make it possible. However, better communication such as signs that there were no bathrooms available on the South beach area would have been nice. We would have gone elsewhere before all the clamshells were taken on the North side.

After an hour or two we got "clamshell neighbors" in the clamshell directly behind ours. They brought their portable speaker so they could play their music. For all of us. How nice. 🙄 We picked the quiet side because we like it quiet. We love to listen to the waves. I really don't understand how anyone would think that is ok. Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky. What do you think?

They still managed to have lunch with some hot food. Not bad. They did serve everything and didn't even let you pump your own mayo or ketchup... good thing... remember the no running water in the bathrooms (which people still used until they were 'full'...). 😬

Time to explore the ship a little bit more.

Oh my goodness, the food at the International Cafe again... too full to try any, but had to take a photo while getting a coffee card for DD.

It happened to be Super Bowl Sunday and we wandered into the Vista Lounge to see what was in there. They had a whole snack/food spread in the back with chips & salsa/guacamole as well as hot items and desserts. They even had a football ice sculpture. We aren't football fans - but if we were that would have been a fun way to watch the game!

Stopping in a restroom quick outside the Vista Lounge - I just have to mention that the staff on this ship was really impressive all week long. Even the lady cleaning the bathroom was in the hall just outside of it and stopped to say welcome aboard and ask me if I was able to find my way around ok - then proceeded to tell me about the interactive screens. So nice! And on a side note: all the ladies public bathrooms I saw throughout the week were very clean and had orchids on the counter.

We took a walk on deck 7. While it wasn't a great promenade compared to the NCL ships we were on last year, it was still nice to be able to walk outside from one end of the ship to the other.

We poked our heads into the main theater. Their soul music performance was underway and it looked interesting.

Next we found ourself in Crooners - the martini bar. 🙂 

Funch was playing the piano and singing - great entertainer!

Milky Way & Sour Apple

After our yummy martinis we headed back to the room where we watched the Wake Show (with cruise director Lexi) and waited for the kids. Hmmm... we hadn't eaten in about 3 hours... let's order room service!  I was on hold for 2 minutes or less and placed our order.

Room Service Menu-

Guacamole & Chips - pretty good guac and fresh salsa. Two thumbs up.

Cheese Plate (and crackers) - YUM! If we could have stopped eating so much during the day we would have ordered this every night!

So the kids got back and wanted to order room service also (We gave them a stack of $1's to keep in their safe for tipping room service - but this ended up being the only time they ordered room service all week. Probably because there is food on this ship EVERYWHERE you turn!) Even though they were only calling a few minutes after we did (before ours was delivered) they spent 20+ minutes on hold. 😒 That may have also contributed to why they didn't order again during the rest of the week. They were a LITTLE more hungry than we were...

Well, that is a wrap for embarkation day!

A letter in our room telling us what we already knew - our bungalow rental was cancelled for the next day. However, the 'guest areas being largely unaffected' was not what I would call accurate... more on that later!

Day 1 Princess Patter:

11 minutes ago, techstar said:

We were on the same cruise (wife and I, third time on Princess, first on the Regal).  Great until Friday, when she started coming down with something.   Stayed in our cabin for the most part on Saturday, drove home Sunday and she was diagnosed with the flu Monday morning at urgent care.  I got sick as well, but tested negative for the flu.  We're both still under the weather.  It's a shame, there are any number of ways we could have caught it, but we were vigilant as far as washing our hands religiously and using hand sanitizer when it was available.

Oh no! That is no fun. 😞 My DH and DS were a bit sick upon returning home but nothing major. I carry disinfectant wipes everywhere! I'm more worried about catching germs on the plane than I am on the ship even. It is so hard to avoid. Hope you feel better soon!

12 hours ago, franktown said:

Great review.  Sorry about the bungalow.  I was told they could not rent them because of lack of electricity for the fan and a/c.  Do not know if that is the real problem.  We have one rented next week so I sure hope the problem is solved.  If not we will  still enjoy our day.

I hope you can use your bungalow! Report back if you can. 🙂 

39 minutes ago, fishin' musician said:

Regarding the inside vs balcony; just being aboard a vessel like this is a huge blessing.  So if it comes down to going more often and taking an inside or going less often with a balcony, I guess it just boils down to how important a balcony is to  you.  I've been on this ship a few times (and also the Royal) and the first time I did not realize how tiny the standard balconies are... I'm lanky and could not sit while facing out.  At that time I swore I'd go inside if taking one of these ships again.  Thankfully I discovered there are some balconies that are at least double the size (deeper)... you can see them some of your pictures. 

 

The partying on the apartment balconies is a longstanding tradition as you head out between the break-walls.  There is a live webcam that many on the ships watch as they sail out, if you have a sign and/or make enough commotion the camera operator may zoom in on you... (we start watching the Saturday/Sunday sail-aways a few weeks before we depart to get even more fired up).  Here is the link:

 

https://www.portevergladeswebcam.com/

 

 

Great advice! We actually didn't think the balconies were that tight (and my husband is 6'4") but that is coming from our only other experience being the NCL Escape and the NCL Getaway where the balconies are even more narrow. We did find that we could fit two chairs side by side on one end of the balcony and sit next to one another - loved that. (photo of that at some point) I will have to look into the rooms with larger balconies in the future though!

How fun that people on the apartment balconies do that on a regular basis - that would be a great way to get excited for an upcoming cruise! 🙂 

All unpacked, we dressed for an early dinner since the kids wanted to go to the teen lounge when it opened at 7pm. We had anytime dining and I was a little concerned about all the wait times I read about here. Would we be waiting for an hour?! What would the food be like? Turns out we didn’t have to wait at all and were promptly seated at a table for four with Rex and Tiho as our servers.

Night 1 Dinner Menu: Symphony Dining Room

Appetizer portion of Fettuccine Alfredo - This was pretty good. Creamy and pasta was al dente. It would benefit from a little grated or shaved Parmesan Reggiano on top instead of the "shake-style" parmesan.

Butterflied Shrimp app: Mmmm - perfectly cooked shrimp and a delicious dipping sauce with just enough citrus flavor to make it unique.

Prime Rib - DH said it was good. Having options of adding toppings to the baked potato made the dish even better and adds a little touch of personal service. I had a bite and thought it was pretty good even though I'm not really a prime rib fan.

Roasted Pork with Apricot Glaze - This was actually very tasty. The green beans were cooked well (not raw or overcooked) and the sauce was very flavorful. Honestly, this menu wasn't my favorite and I didn't have high expectations for the pork dish, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Night 1 Dessert Menu

Princess Love Boat Dream - I think this is the most photographed Princess dessert and am happy to report that it is as yummy as it looks! 

New York Cheesecake - this is pretty much all it takes to make my husband happy. ha! It was a point of contention on NCL that their idea of cheesecake more-so resembled gelatinous pudding. This was REAL cheesecake and was ordered multiple times during the week!

Flourless Chocolate Cake - Our son ordered this one. I wanted to try a bite because I've heard it was delicious... however, I blinked and it was gone. DS has a "talent" for inhaling food as only a 16 year old boy can do. 🤣 He said it was amazing though so I'm just going to have believe him.

Butter Almond Ice Cream - Servers don't seem to like it when one person doesn't order dessert (aka: DD) and Rex decided she needed some ice cream at least. Smart man. 😊 The ice cream did not go uneaten - thanks Rex. Seriously, we are going to roll off this ship at the end of the week - aren't we!!!

Dinner conversation from our not-easy-to-impress DD... summery: Princess broke the scale! This ship is so pretty! The food is so good! The servers/crew talk to kids like they are real people! <--- 😍 And off to the teen lounge they went... 

DH and I asked for regular coffee. In "real life" I don't ever dare have coffee past 3pm-ish or I'll be wide awake long after I should be sleeping. At this point though it was 7:30ish and we realized we still had to stay up for another 4-5 hours. Needless to say ordering coffee with dessert became a nightly tradition!

28 minutes ago, WisCruiser2 said:

We were also on this cruise, and were just down the hall from you in the 600 section 🙂 Sorry we didn't get to meet you at our Roll Call gatherings. We thought overall, it was a great week! It always takes us until the end of the week to figure out where we're going, no matter which ship we are on. 

We really like Alfredo's, too, as well as the International Cafe for a light lunch or "a little something," hope you made sure to try it. Thanks for doing the review so we can re-live the week after getting 10 inches of snow the other day!

We didn't make it to any of the Roll Call gatherings. 🙁 Next time we travel without our kids, we will make sure to attend the get-togethers!

After Muster, we headed to the International Cafe for some coffee (make that a mocha frappuccino for DD) and the food offerings looked yummy. Looking forward to trying some of them during the week!

Our rooms were very close to the central elevator bank that is also in the Piazza, which was very convenient!

So, we headed up to our room to unpack and watch sail away from our balcony. The Celebrity Edge left first...

Then we followed the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas (HUGE ship!).

Some people in the condos nearby were very excited to watch our ship leave. I wondered... do they know someone on our ship or is this just their Sunday afternoon entertainment? 😂

Sailing away from the setting sun... it is going to be a great cruise, I can tell. 

Time to explore a little! I have to say - this ship was not easy to navigate. It took almost the whole week to get some sense of what was where (and that is after I studied deck plans for months!). Thankful that there was an app for helping you get around that you could use on your phone or on the interactive maps by the elevators. Maybe it is just me or maybe that is why there are so many repeat guests… you finally figure it out and need to stay longer to make the effort worth it. 😄

Strawberry Daiquiri Mocktail-

The Retreat (adult pool area)

We walked through the Sanctuary and made a note to reserve an afternoon or two there next time we take a cruise without the kids!

Since we didn’t see an excursion ticket or anything for our bungalow on Princess Cay in our room earlier, we stopped by the Shore Excursions desk to ask about it. Unfortunately due to the fire (even though the bungalows weren’t damaged) they cancelled ALL bungalow rentals. We were really disappointed, but oh well - not everything goes according to plan. You just have to roll with it. At least we were still going to the island. Instead we rented two clamshells ($40ea). We’ve rented clamshells before. Our 16 year old is not a beach fan. He doesn’t complain or anything - just usually parks himself in the clamshell or under the umbrella! Reasons for clamshells: happy kids and even SPF 70 needs help when it comes to mid-winter MI skin!

While I was renting clamshells DH was getting extra key cards for our rooms. Since you have to register an adult in each room, but we were putting the kids in one and us in the other - we needed key cards. The medallions only worked to open your door if that was the original room you were registered in. It would be helpful if Princess would allow a family to register connecting rooms the way they are going to use them.

Following that we made our way to the Muster Drill in Princess Live. Yaaaaay. Actually, our station had Christof (center), the assistant Cruise Director and he was quite funny. This is the first Muster Drill where I’m sure no one nodded off.