APDMOM

A bit of the action: IMG_7919.MOV

The Galleria tonight: This was 70’s night. Due to bad weather, it was moved from the pool deck to the galleria. That was just a bit too crowded for me to participate, but it was fun to watch from the pub area. TIP: Pack your 70’s flower power outfit if this s the kind of thing you enjoy! Also, there was a glow party that I forgot to mention (we did not attend and I am not sure it happened, since there was inclement weather). Pack some glow sticks for that event.

I agree 100% with the food portions. I always said, “I wish there were still such a thing as a ‘ladies’ portion.” We had that growing up in South Africa and would love a ‘smaller portion’ option on all cruises!

These two talented performers from Ethiopia are on roller skates! Made me think of the ice skating shows on Royal Caribbean ships. The show was truly 70’s style COOL!

Tonight’s Show: COOL The show was very enjoyable and we could tell that most of the cast had fun performing. The harmonies were not perfect, but like DH said, that did not matter as much since the show was perfectly entertaining. The band is amazing!

Dinner in the MDR: We decided to skip dessert, but enjoyed our meals. I only posted new dishes, since DH had the Salmon again and DS sticks to the shrimp cocktail. TIP: MSC food portions are smaller than other lines - sometimes significantly so. This is one thing I LOVE about MSC but it can be a shock to people who are used to other cruiselines. So, be sure to order 2 entrees if you like a bigger meal for dinner. Just order them at the same time to save the staff a bit of extra trouble 🙂

Casa Blanca (the first time we saw this house, it had a helicopter landing and taking off from their own personal helipad. I will have to find a picture of it when I get home):

Ships Leaving Nassau: Celebrity Beyond (No plans to cruise on this one yet) Explorer of the Seas: Have been on her sisters, Navigator and Adventure. TIP: If you ever plan on taking a cruise on this class ship, try to book 7388 of 7688 for an extra large balcony. See my Adventure of the Seas review for details and pictures. Harmony of the Seas - It was bitter-sweet to see this ship in Nassau. The last time we were on Harmony, we cruised with my mom and dad from Namibia (November 2019). That was the last cruise we got to enjoy with my dad, who passed away in 2021 after a 37-year-long battle with leukemia. It was such a blessing to have him for so many years of grace. We cherish the memories of our cruises with him.

Thank you for reading along! Breakfast is available from 6:30 AM until 11:30 AM. Buffet is open at 6:30 for “early risers” (me), MDR is open for about 1 hour around 7:30 or 8, depending on the port/sea day. Then there is a grab-and-go smaller selection at the pool until 11:30. The buffet breakfast seems to end at 10:30, but that could also be dependent upon port/sea day. If you look at this page on the daily planner, you can see all the open times for food 🙂 Also, Seaplex is quite busy on this cruise since we have over 1,000 kids and teens on this sailing. I have seen them play soccer one time I walked through. It probably also has a schedule that I just have not checked in detail.

That is all I have energy for tonight. Will close out day 2 sometime tomorrow. Thanks for the likes, comments, and for ‘cruising’ along!

The Jean Philippe Menu:

After lunch, we enjoyed our balcony. The ship was still pretty busy as it seems like many passengers opted to stay onboard. Afternoon coffee was enjoyed at Jean Philippe: Although our selections were very good, it is obvious that inflation has hit MSC too- the servings are much smaller than they were in 2019. It was still worth the splurge for us, but we will not be stopping here as frequently as we had planned. A view of Reflection from Jean Philippe:

We enjoyed lunch in the MDR with excellent service from Lawan and Japeth. TIP: If you want to enjoy a more relaxing lunch on a sea day, or when the ship arrives at port right around lunch, the MDR is a great choice. They had very efficient service and the food we ordered was very good.

Celebrity Reflection: I love seeing our ‘future ships’ in port. We are booked to board this beauty for a New Year’s cruise next month! We could even spot our next balcony!

We had a mixed bag of rain, sunshine, rain, sunshine, and extreme humidity today. We did not leave the ship but enjoyed seeing other ships in port. We also found that our balcony was quite sheltered from the rain, thanks to the overhang (except if the wind blows strongly while in port).

Yes, we loved eating out there too on our previous Meraviglia cruise - tried twice on this cruise, but so far it was too cold in Port Canaveral yesterday and too windy with blowing rain this morning. Hope to get out there tomorrow!

I will see if I can get some extra steps in that way 😁 If I run into the cabin attendant for that room I will ask.

Fun! Let me know if you want any additional pictures or if you have other questions. 🙂

Now, for the best - the balcony: When we arrived, we asked our room attendant if he would open the divider for us. He was able to open it for us this morning. Here are the before and after pics: DH re-arranged the furniture for us to create all this space after the divider was opened.

I still brought my over the door hanger, but use the bunk bed area to store that out of sight behind the curtains: Put your key card in the slot for power. Be sure to turn on the ‘do not disturb’ or the ‘make up room’, when needed. A/C has been exellent. Hair dryer - the kind where you have to keep pushing the button to make it work

Room 12344: I love that it is more spacious without the couch. I don’t love that it does not also have a bathtub… thankfully, I can have both! 😉

Bonus: The bunk beds each has a USB charger with a reading light… go figure- the “kids” get USB chargers by the bed but not the adults. On a side-note - we had a USB charger by the bed n 11390, but I am not sure if those were removed with a refresh, or what? Charger and reading light by each bunk bed: Room plugs: 2 Euro, 2 US, 1USB

By the balcony, there are also these two bunk beads, neatly tucked away behind a curtain, with extra storage: (Note, the beds are not made, since this room has only 2 people booked in it)

Look at this bathroom!

Jackpot! At least that is how we feel about these balconies we found. The only 2 beside each other that remained on the aft were 12344 and 12348. These are some pictures of the room itself - 12348: With storage in the main closet as follows - standard for MSC balcony: