MaryBethV

16 hours ago, Redwing55 said:

I think that you mentioned above that you'd like to try La Mer next time.  We're no foodies, but we truly enjoyed the experience.  I don't want to pump it up so you won't have high expectations, but we're not "french" food lovers but found EVERYTHING we ordered quite tasty.  We'll be sailing Sky next February and we'll be dining at La Mer again.  And this is coming from a steak lover (I had the sea bass... mmmmm.)  

We do want to try Sur La Mer this next time! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Did you eat outdoors?

 

12 hours ago, MrSchwump said:

Just curious about what kind of post production work you do on your photos? What software do you use?  We got back a week ago and I need to jump into the PhotoSweatShop and get things going!

 

Very nice images!

iPhone photos: I either edit them right on my phone and then save them to my computer to sort OR I import them into Photoshop and bump the contrast and saturation a little, when needed. 
Canon photos: These all need some processing in Photoshop as they are shot in Raw+jpg
All photos: I really try to take them as I want them (saves tons of time!) but some do need cropping which can be done directly on the iPhone or in Photoshop.

47 minutes ago, Rusty10 said:

Great review, beautiful photos. Thank you for posting!  Your photos will look lovely in a lay flat photo book!

Designing that is my goal for this weekend! I'll try to remember to come back to this post and show some photos of how it turns out. 

12 hours ago, Stacy12312 said:

Thank you!  I’m jealous your off to the carribean again!  How did your in-laws enjoy their first cruise?  

Believe me - two cruises this close together is not normal for us. I'm already freaking out a bit that I haven't even started packing for the next one! However a calm cruise to enjoy some time with my in-laws and a teenager-fun-Spring-Break cruise just HAD TO BE two different cruises. If we tried to make them both into one cruise it would have spelled disaster. Or, I would have needed the drink package. 😂 My in-laws loved the cruise. My MIL especially has never been on a vacation where she didn't do all the meal planning, cooking, etc. I was worried that she wouldn't relax, but I shouldn't have. She was relaxed by day 2! I'm hoping they will do this again together.

 

10 hours ago, ckb104 said:

Are those $3 Bailey's in a souvenir glass just a Sky Princess thing or can you get those on any ship?

I'm pretty sure they were offered on the Regal last year, though we didn't get one then. They aren't ship-specific, so hopefully they will be on your next cruise. 

2 hours ago, Stacy12312 said:

Thank you for your quick reply - that is our plan too, just thought I would see how other ‘cruiser’s’ are feeling.  I will write a review - I am so looking forward to the ship and the Mediterranean.  
I hope you enjoy your cruise as well!  
 

I hope that by then these concerns will be in the past for you. I know we have a little concern over our cruise in 5 weeks. We will do the same precautions as normal (take Airborne & pro-biotics, bring medical-grade peroxide wipes, wash hands often), but we also plan on bringing extra medications and are still thinking things through.

 

Looking forward to your review from your Mediterranean cruise! 

24 minutes ago, palolake said:

For St. Maarten, check out Random Wind.

 

Thank you for the suggestion - looking into it. Our kids would be ALL ABOUT that Tarzan swing! 

1 hour ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

Thank you for your great review and photos . We will be on the Regal Princess on April 19 for a TA and the UK cruise B2B and will do a photo review after we return .

I will be watching for your photo review!!!

8 hours ago, traci_money said:

so how did the in laws enjoy getting dragged 😉 into the unknown? 

 

38 minutes ago, 4hunters said:

I second this question.  I love hearing about newbie reactions to their first cruise and cruising as a whole.  Thanks again for the fantastic review!

 

We saw them a few days after the cruise and they were both sad that there wasn't an International Cafe downstairs in their condo. 😁 It is such a rough adjustment back to real life. 😉

I think they will consider going on a cruise on their own now - we'll see. Since I monitor sales, etc. anyways... you know I won't be able to resist sending them a few tempting options.

4 hours ago, USCcruisecrazy said:

On Sea Days, our favorite morning spot (just after breakfast) was the Wakeview Bar...best Spicy Bloody Mary on the ship.

 

One of our favorite St. Maarten excursions is the Rum Punch cruise that takes you around the massive yachts...basically all around the lagoon area...then drops you on the Dutch side for 1-2 hours to tray a restaurant or shop.  A bus then picks you up and head's over to the Market or you can ride back to the dock.  All along the way, of course, is music playing and rum punch flowing!!  It's a pretty fun time.

 

Thanks again for your review...the pictures are incredible.  Bravo!!!!

Spicy Bloody Mary at the Wakeview bar is added to my list! (And the Rum Punch cruise added to my research for the next time we are there without kids - thanks!) 

Well, all good things must come to an end and it is time to go. I love vacation - but I also LOVE going home. Especially when I miss our kids!

We woke up already docked and I slipped out onto the balcony to watch the sunrise as the other ships sailed into port.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After hauling our luggage down the stairs, we met my in-laws on deck 5. They had managed to get an elevator. One last breakfast from the IC (and the BEST blueberry muffin ever - look for them on your cruise!). 

 

Thank you SO much for following along with this review! I have made it through all my photos (yay!) and now have a couple of coffee table books to design - one for us and one for my in-laws.

 

I'm already planning a few new things to do/try when we are on this amazing ship again in April. 

• *try* to book a morning or afternoon in the Sanctuary
• eat at Bistro Sur La Mer
• visit the Good Spirits Bar

What do you think I should add to my list? Also, are there any areas that I didn't capture this time around that you would like to see? Do you have any excursion or beach recommendations for St. Maarten (we'd like something without an expensive 45 minute cab ride, if possible)?

Thanks again! And to all of you looking forward to your cruises on the Sky, happy sailing - you will love this ship!!!

We headed down to the Crown Grill bar area about an hour before our dinner reservations. The seating is comfortable and the design throughout is just beautiful. (I took a few of these photos earlier in the week - believe me, it wasn't deserted at 7pm!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cassie Matthews was playing/singing and I ordered a Toasted Almond martini (sweet and creamy - I would order it again). DH had a Manhattan which he said was well-made.

 

 

Time for dinner! 😋Samuel from Mexico and Andru from the Ukraine were our servers. They explained everything to us since this was our first time at the Crown Grill and took very good care of us throughout the meal.

 

 

 

The Grill Salad, Grape-Balsamic Dressing (MIL thought it was very good)

 

DH had the Marinated Goat Cheese and Heirloom Tomato Salad. Unfortunately the photo was really blurry (dim lighting was challenging!) - but it was also a very good salad.

 

FIL's Black Tiger Prawn and Papaya Salpicon. My FIL actually doesn't eat seafood and didn't want the Tartare, so he ordered this app for the rest of us to share. I had no idea what to expect from the menu description, but it was good. The shrimp were hot, but what they are sitting on is cold (reminded me of potato salad). Good and lovely presentation, but I personally would order something else.

 

My Black and Blue Onion Soup - O.M.G. yummy! I rarely order the same thing because I like to try out everything, but I'm VERY tempted to order this again next time. It puts all other onion soups to shame.

 

Three of us ordered the Mediterranean-Style Spiny Lobster Cake, Tarragon Foam - this was very good, but by far wasn't my favorite lobster cake ever. 'Mediterranean' does suggest milder flavors - but I personally would have preferred more flavor (even a little spice) in the green sauce you see on the side.

 

When at a steakhouse... order steak! All of our steaks were perfectly cooked as ordered. The smashed potatoes were delicious - as were our sides which were served family-style (creamed spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, and red skin mashed potatoes).

 

DH and I both ordered the Rib-eye, medium. 

 

Salts top to bottom: Hawaiian Black Salt (very good), Smoked Applewood Salt (my favorite, tons of flavor), Himalayan Mountain Pink Salt (good, but pretty standard I think - I cook with it all the time at home).

 

MIL's Filet Mignon, medium

 

FIL's ordered a New York Strip, medium - which I don't have a photo of. He really enjoyed it with the salts.

 

Time for dessert - but first, COFFEE and tea. We need to get back to our rooms before the food coma sets in!

 

 

 

My Warm Chocolate Mousse Trifle - very good until I hit the rock-hard frozen grapefruit segments in the bottom. Besides being frozen, the sour note didn't go with the rest of the dish - personal opinion. I left them right where they were and ate around them. I would order something else next time.

 

DH and MIL had the Key Lime Pie Bar with the most delicious raspberries EVER. They loved it all.

 

My FIL, upon receiving his Apple & Rhubarb Cobbler, lifted his dessert right up for me to take a photo. He is clearly fully trained now and I wouldn't hesitate to cruise with him again. 😄

 

So. Much. (Delicious) Food. 

 

I'm really glad we saved the Crown Grill for our last meal. Such a great way to wrap up this cruise. Time for bed!

Patter for the day -

 

 

 

49 minutes ago, MJSailors said:

      You are obviously home now,but I seem to recall that you have a future cruise on Princess in April. Regarding the afternoon tea...I think items such as scones,jam and clotted cream are available in the buffet in the late afternoon. At least this was our experience on the Regal Princess a few years ago. You might want to check it out. 

      My DH and I did the tea in the MDR once. We prefer a table for two with a sea view in the buffet for a late afternoon tid bit.

       Wishing you an enjoyable next cruise !

Thanks for the tip - we will definitely check out the buffet for scones on our next cruise. A table for two with a sea view in the buffet is much more "us" also. 🙂

Friday | February 14, 2020 | Sea Day 

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

We were planning on going to either Coffee with the Captain or the Culinary Demo (that was such a riot last year on the Regal) this morning... but we slept in instead. Last chance to be lazy before heading back to real life!!! We ordered room service (called the dine line) and it was at our door in 15 minutes. While nothing beats breakfast with a view, I am sad to report that the egg & ham muffins were once again lukewarm at best, dry, and fairly inedible. If Princess is only going to offer one hot option for breakfast room service, then they need to figure out how to do it well. We enjoyed the coffee & croissants though!

 

Since we had quite a bit of sun yesterday, we opted to just head to the Piazza for more coffee (cappuccino!) and to listen to the string quartet. We enjoyed the music from these talented ladies throughout the week. 

 

 

We were sitting in front of this metal art piece - beautiful!

 

 

After a while we decided to have lunch in the main dining room since we were practically starving after only croissants and coffee. 🤣

 

This was at the entrance to the Estrella dining room -

 

We had Elvie and Sittisak from the Philippines as our servers. Elvie was practically dancing around and was often singing along to the love-themed music playing. Just a bundle of joy. 💗Loved her! The crew on this ship really is exceptional.

 

 

Chimichanga with Salsa Cruda - If you see this on the menu... order it! Full of flavor and so good!

 

Leek and Potato Cream Soup (DH liked it)

 

Maccheroni ala Chitarra with Lamb Ragout (Pasta) - I've never been disappointed with any 'ragout' item on this ship and once again - absolutely delicious and perfectly al dente pasta. 

 

Fritto Misto Platter - There was a generous amount of seafood (I stole a scallop or two) and the batter was nice and light. DH wished there was a garlic aioli or a spicy sauce of some sort with it instead of tartar sauce, but that is just personal preference. For the record: fried potatoes = french fries 😉. 

 

We headed back to our stateroom and enjoyed vodka tonics (we ordered the small bottle of vodka in advance of our cruise - and we brought on small bottles of tonic) while we did some packing. Packing is always 😭, so I suggest only doing so with a drink in hand.

 

I also took some time to fill out a few comment cards that I picked up at the guest services counter earlier. On our next cruise I plan to pick these up the first day and just have them on hand. It says at the bottom of the card that you can hand it to the employee and I think that would be a great way to brighten the day of these hard-working crew members!

 

We decided to get some sun after all - since once we get back to MI we are still MONTHS away from summer. We found a couple of loungers by the wake pool on deck 16.

 

Another Princess ship was following us -

 

 

We thought of getting in the wake pool to cool off, but it was SUPER cloudy and VERY warm. Ew. So, instead we headed forward to the Retreat Pool which was perfect and refreshing. This was probably the nicest weather we've ever had on the last day of a cruise. 

 

On a wall in the buffet - 

 

The Sea Walk -

 

 

Along the way we grabbed ice cream cones at Swirls -

 

Time to get ready for our dinner at the Crown Grill...

 

 

 

 

8 hours ago, Bridalgownz said:

This is the best trip review I've ever read. (And I've read a lot of them!)  I felt like I was sailing along with you.  Thanks for all the pics, the menu's and the reviews of the food and ship.   I enjoyed every line!

 

Princess Cays looks a bit different than last year. The water was so rough when we were there that it knocked me down and ground sand in my bathing suit.  I can't get it out....free souvenir! 😁 Now I'm excited for my cruise in April!

Thank you -- and that is one unique souvenir! 😂I'm thankful it was nice and calm when we were there since our other beach day in St. Maarten was that great due to wind, waves, & rain.

The ones on the Sky earlier this month fit me and I wear a women's size 14 - so, not small. The fact that they were still soft and fairly new might have had something to do with it also. 

4 hours ago, stevej5005 said:

Mary Beth- in the future if you are able to get an afternoon in the Sanctuary, they serve tea everyday with scones and jam and cream! Our very favorite afternoon snack! Plus the sandwiches and pastries. So tough to get in there sometimes! A bit easier on longer cruises we have found.  

Ah, yes - the elusive Sanctuary. We will try again in April and report back! Wish me luck! 😉

 

4 hours ago, blue cow dog said:

I have done the upgraded afternoon tea.  It was WELL worth the extra money.  Wow what an experience.   If I still ate carbs and sweets I would do it on every cruise.   

 

I've heard of this, but didn't notice it on the Sky. Does anyone have details - where it is held, how to sign up, price?? And most importantly - can introverts get a table for 2?

2 hours ago, Roger88 said:

Thank you soo much for the photos MaryBeth. Is there a thread where people can post photos from their trips? I swear sometimes I crave to see some colored feedback from people before I choose the cruise

 

I'm the same way - I love to look for photos when trying to decide on a ship & itinerary. On CruiseCritic: When searching for photos of a particular ship I go to the Cruise Line boards, select my cruise line - then search for any reviews on the particular ship I'm interested in. When it comes to looking for photos of where we will be going, I tend to go to the Ports Of Call boards and look up, for example, St. Thomas.

 

Another fabulous resource is TripAdvisor (search for your ship or destination), and YouTube (great for ship tour videos, stateroom tour videos, and what to do in ports of call).

 

Of course, you could always start a topic of something like "would love to see photos of the Sky Princess, please post your favorites". 

 

Hope that helps! 🙂

Thank you for 'taking us along' on this cruise. We hope to visit those islands in the future. 🙂

Thursday | February 13, 2020 | Sea Day

Good morning! Another blue sea, blue sky day on the Sky! 😃

 

 

 

We slept in a little and headed to the Piazza a bit before 10 for the Coffee with the Captain. BUT - oops! That was tomorrow. We had scrolled a little too far ahead on the app. Still, we enjoyed a bite from the International Cafe and the scooted out of the way for the beginning of Zumba - led by cruise director Corey. 

 

DH's breakfast burrito and my egg & ham breakfast muffin - both good!

 

DH's apple fritter (he wasn't a big fan) and my donut (really light and fresh!) -

 

We changed into swimwear and headed towards the Retreat Pool to look for loungers. On our second little lap around the deck 17 area above the Retreat Pool - we were able to drag two empty loungers together. Score! Sun, swim, repeat was the rotation for the next few hours. 

 

Getting hungry from all the hard work of doing nothing, we headed to the Salty Dog Grill for some lunch. It was busy and there was a decent line, but it kept moving thanks to the hard work of the guys behind the grill!

 

I know this is hard to read from the glare, but the menu isn't visible until you are the next to order - so knowing what you want in advance might be a good plan.

 

My MIL and FIL found us and we all ate together. My MIL was very happy to get her first hot dog - she had been craving one for days!

 

My classic burger with bacon & cheese loaded fries. An absolutely delicious burger!

 

DH's classic burger & fries. He thought his was a little on the salty side (but he does consider salt a SPICE 😂, so take that for what you will 😉)

 

After a little more swim & sun, we headed back to the room to shower/change and head to our first afternoon tea. There was a line of people waiting for the doors to open and each group was shown to their seats. A couple in front of us was given the choice of sharing a table or having their own (they chose their own). However, we weren't given a choice and were sat at a table of 8. OH THE HORRORS, I know. 😆I knew then and there it was going to be our first and last tea. That said, the others at the table were very nice and we exchanged the obligatory chit chat in between sips of tea (quite good tea) and bites of petite sandwiches, desserts, and scones. The server came around with the scones and the server behind him ran out of cream and jam right before getting to me... I was done with everything else by the time he came back around my way. It was worth the wait though. We may not go back for tea, but I am going to figure out how to get my hands on a scone with cream & jam somehow! So yummy. 😍

 

My plate with the scone (lower left) - minus the cream & jam -

 

After walking around the ship for a while, we ended up running into my MIL and FIL who were at the International Cafe foraging for food after their stop to the gelato place. Don't you just love Sea Days? 😉

 

I had to see why my FIL had returned to the IC a few times for an Island Spiced Lentil Pie and I also sampled the Thai Beef Salad. DH had a quiche and a ham & cheese croissant.

 

Lentil pie & quiche -

 

Lentil Pie - this was spiced perfectly and is the epitome of comfort food. I'm already looking forward to another next cruise!

 

Thai Salad - I have to say I'm not a fan of the salads being served in these little square glasses. It is hard to eat and the dressing goes to the bottom and you can't stir it up without it spilling out. That said, it was pretty bland - wouldn't get this one again.

 

DH's quiche and ham & cheese croissant (he liked both) -

 

Now we were thirsty, so we headed across the way to Bellinis for a beer & margarita!

 

The Ultimate Patron Margarita was my favorite drink of the cruise, hands down.

 

After a quick, but perfectly lazy vacation nap we got ready for our second formal night. This night isn't as formal as the first in my opinion - but everyone we saw was dressed nice and smart/casual at the least.

 

Sunset -

 

Before dinner we met my in-laws and picked out our formal photos from the previous formal night. Nice & easy. I might even make our teenagers pose for one next time as they tend to smile for strangers more than for their mom. ha!

 

Ready for dinner?

 

 

 

I think this is the Crusty Whole Wheat Levain Miche Bread. The other bread in our basket was the regular white rolls. I don't think we got the Gorgonzola bread - I should have asked.

 

Escargots Bourguignon - delicious - but honestly, you could serve me almost anything drenched in garlic butter and I'd like it. 

 

DH's Princess Shrimp Cocktail - he said he really liked the cocktail sauce.

 

Gourmet Bowl of Mushrooms, Artichokes and Buckwheat - a few of us ordered this. Quite good - would order it again.

 

Beef Wellington, Truffle-Madeira Demi-Glace - the beef wellington itself was very tasty, as was the sauce and potatoes. The lima beans (undercooked a bit) and spinach-cake-thing (tasted like unseasoned blanched spinach) weren't my favorites. I'd probably order something else next time.

 

FIL's Bleu Burger - he loved it!

 

MIL's Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast, Mushroom Marsala Wine Sauce - The sauce and potatoes were good, but the chicken was very dry.

 

 

At this point, our servers (Anastasia & Andru - both from the Ukraine) brought my MIL & FIL an anniversary cake and sang Happy Anniversary to them. Then Anastasia had them kiss behind a napkin. She was hilarious and we all loved her! No photos, but I do have it on video.

 

Besides the desserts ordered, they brought us these Petits Fours. The little round cake ones with the almonds on top were amazing & I only had half of one! I need to learn to save more room for dessert!

 

Chocolate Journeys: Caffe Mocha Bar - two thumbs up!

 

And the Crunchy Profiterole, Banana Gelato - FIL loved it!

 

The night is not over yet! We headed to the theater for Rock Opera. It was a good thing we arrived 50 minutes in advance for good seats because it was almost full by 30 minutes until the 10pm show time! 

 

 

Excellent show thoroughly enjoyed by all!

 

After the show, we briefly listened to Guitar Vocalist Cassie Matthews in the Crown Grill Bar area. She has a lovely voice.

 

Then it was time to call it a day - tomorrow is Valentine's Day! 

 

Patter from today -

 

 

 

 

Next up - our last full day (and Crown Grill for dinner!).

14 hours ago, RoperDK said:

I am loving your review!  So much great information.  We sail on the Sky in 5 weeks.    

We are back on the Sky (with kids in tow) in 5 1/2 weeks - so we are either on the same cruise or the one right after yours! 🙂

 

14 hours ago, Redwing55 said:

Like others have said, thanks so much for this review.  We too were on this voyage and now I'll have something to easily reference to remind me a bit of all the great times we had with my family!  The effort you put forth isn't trivial and I truly appreciate your perspectives and photos.  Thanks again!

It was such a fun cruise, wasn't it! Thank you for reading along. I love reading that people are enjoying the review... it helps me keep going. 

The last 2 sea days coming up... I ❤️ Sea Days!

3 hours ago, mtfasls said:

MaryBeth, thank you so much for this amazing review.  Having not been on the Sky yet, but booked for April, Do they no longer have the bread baskets on the table for dinner?  Are your only choices for bread from the 2 listed on the menu.  The highlight of our dinners are the crusty white bread rolls.

 

2 hours ago, Stacy12312 said:

I agree with the white Crispy dinner rolls - so delicious!  

 

No worries! Our bread baskets always came with the crusty white dinner rolls and the bread of the day. The white rolls & butter never went to waste at our table - so good. 🙂

1 hour ago, Familycruzer11 said:

We disembarked from Regal on 2/2 and I am still sighing.  We also booked Sky next Feb. 10 day southern Caribbean. My thanks as well for the in-depth review.  Have a whole year to obsess over my next trip 😊.  I see you were on Regal, which we absolutely loved and seems Sky will not disappoint. 

We loved the Regal last year and will be on it in Alaska 2021. I'd REALLY love to do the southern Caribbean on the Sky someday also!

9 hours ago, Geobugs said:

This review is very well thought out.  I appreciate it very much, as I sail on Sky with the same itinerary in 11 days.

11 days will go fast and you will LOVE the Sky!

Time for dinner in the MDR. Our servers were Federico and Michael. I snuck a photo of them just because if you see them - totally ask to be in their section. They were great and super FUN. Also, I think we got out of there in under an hour and a half. And that included coffee and dessert!

 

***No photo of the bread, but the Moroccan Spiced Bread was the BEST EVER. Ate 3 rolls at least. And I wasn't the only one!

 

 

Chef's Charcuterie. All good, but the star was the red onion compote, which must have been soaked in red wine. Yum yum yum.

 

MIL's Twice-Baked Goat Cheese Souffle, which she loved.

 

We ordered the Steamed Mussels, Chorizo and White Wine sauce to share - even though I don't like mussels. However, I LOVE white wine mussel sauce... and this sauce was dreamy. I think some of the bread and sauce were gone before I remembered to take this photo. 

 

Appetizer portion of Potato Gnocchi with Roasted Portobello. VERY rich... I could only eat some of it. My dinner partners were happy to finish it off though!

 

MIL's Chili-Rubbed Pork Chop. She RAVED about it - perfectly cooked (not dry), nice thick chop, flavorful sauce. In fact other diners must have had the same opinion because the next day by the retreat pool I overheard a man telling his friend about how incredible his pork chop was the night before! 

 

My Beef Tenderloin Carver's Thick Cut - quite tender and tasty. Loved the mushroom-barley pilaf!

 

 

MIL's Sea Salted Caramel Pot de Creme - I think we all tried a spoonful. Creamy and very good.

 

Chocoholic Cheesecake - this was very good. It could have only been better if I had not had all those darn Moroccan spiced rolls earlier. 😭 

 

My in-laws called it an early night and went back to their room to watch a movie. DH and I settled into one of the booths in the back of Bellini's and finally ordered our free drinks with the Medallion App. We both thought it was quite easy to use and to customize your drink order, if you wished. Our only complaint is that the app seems to work great when you are near or IN a bar, but not-so-great on the pool & sun decks.

 

 

A great way to wait for the Princess World Orchestra to begin in the Piazza! And, I must say, the Princess World Orchestra is not to be missed. Absolutely fabulous, talented musicians!

 

 

Afterwards we headed back and watched part of Ford vs. Ferrari in our room (STILL have yet to finish that movie, so no spoilers!). A little before midnight we decided to order a snack. OK, a few snacks. And desserts. I totally deserve every pound I gained. No regrets.

 

Club Sandwich

 

Key lime something, traditional cheesecake, AND fries. 

 

Funny enough - we weren't the only ones that got the late night snacking bug. My FIL texted me a photo after midnight of my MIL enjoying a few things from the International Cafe. It is absolutely NOT FAIR that my MIL didn't even gain a single pound on this trip! haha

 

Patter and St. Maarten info.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back on the ship, we headed to the buffet for lunch. 

 

Jasmine rice with Tandori chicken and some version of curry - so, SO good.

 

Carved steak with horseradish? Perfectly done and tasty!!! Green beans? Good! The salmon/spinach/mushroom wellington-like dish in the middle? Unless you are a cat, I recommend taking a pass. 😸

 

DH went to the dessert area and grabbed a lemon meringue tart for himself. Being the smart man that he is, he got one for me also. 😍

 

We walked around the aft area of the lido deck and checked out the sights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have to admit, there was some gawking at the Harmony of the Seas. It looks amazing, but it just is not our "style". We are more the afternoon-nap-style cruiser. Speaking of which, that is exactly what we did next.

 

A little later, we had a perfect view (along with our Harmony of the Seas friends) to watch for pier runners. My FIL was very, VERY amused by this highly unique form of cruise entertainment. 😄 We did see one poor young man practically being carried onto the other ship as he was one hair short of being passed out drunk. And we did see a couple fellow cruisers that had to huff and puff their way back to the Sky gangplank a few minutes past all-aboard. And no -- no photographs or videos of the unfortunate.

 

So, off we went from our last port. A few fun horn battles ensued as we waved goodbye to our Harmony friends.

 

Perfectly timed once again, our sail-away sunset was spectacular.

 

 

And I did run for my 'real' camera for a couple of shots...

 

 

 

49 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

Look how wide Harmony of the Seas is

I know!!! And the Sky is no small ship next to it - really something to see close-up.