aml3679

We will do a regular balcony room on our transatlantic. Bathroom was nice but we did not use the tub. Plus, I have mobility issues and it was a bit scary getting into. Nice amount of room, but, we did not use half. Huge balcony but we only used a few times since there was no shade. Luminae was nice but we ended up ordering off the MDR at least half the time. Plus, being retired, we need to watch our pennies. We did not get reserved seating in the theater. Plenty of seats, no big deal.

Tuscan

Loved it

Southern Caribbean 10 day

We just got off six days ago Beautiful ship Great service Wonderful food Only complaint was all of the pools were cold

We had $1300

I just got off the Silhouette and it was al a carte

Final thoughts Best cruise ever Embarktion was so easy. The Retreat had a separate entrance. They had snacks and drinks and comfortable chairs. They personally came to check you in and we were on the ship in 20 minutes. Our first cruise, they handed out glasses of champagne, not any more. The ship is stunning. Our room was not available until 1:30, but we were able to get our sea passes and drop of luggage. We had a Sunset Sky Suite in the back of the ship. There were 3 large closets. We had to ask for more hangers. Robes, slippers, and a safe. Beautiful bathroom with a rain shower head and a huge tub. There were large fluffy towels. A full size sofa, hair, coffee table, and ottoman. Large king size bed. Large balcony. Deepak was our room steward and he was wonderful. Left dark chocolate on our pillow every night. He brought ice everyday and stocked our mini fridge every day without asking. We would come back to find my husband’s clothes folded. He is on a 7 month contract and then goes home for 2 months. He has a wife and children. He takes care of 17 rooms. Two suites and 15 others. Food Overall, food was excellent. Luminae was our main dining room. Absolutely stunning. Bibi was the hostess. Cosmin was our Maitre ‘D Keith was the Sommelier Stephen was our waiter The burger was to die for. Half pound cooked perfectly. Most of the other food was outstanding. Tuscan Grill -one of our favorites Ate here the first night at a 50% discount Loved the chicken parmigiana and the pistachio crème brûlée. La Petite Chef was fun as always All four of us had a filet you could cut with a fork. We ate at Murano our last night Between the 4 of us, we had Lobster bisque Goat cheese soufflé Chateau (sorry, I cannot spell) briand Lobster cooked tableside Dark chocolate and Grand Manier soufflés We were able to bring 2 bottles of wine with no corkage fee because we were Retreat, otherwise it would be $25 each. While we did not eat in the main dining room, we did order off the menu when we did not care for the Luminae menu. We also ate at The Porch and The Lawn Club Grill. Not horrible, but, we will not eat there again. The Oceanview Cafe had a great variety and tasted good. The two bars we went to were The Martini Bar and The World Class Bar. They didn’t go cheap on the alcohol. My husband said they served one of the best old fashions. Cafe Al Bacio was wonderful as usual. The staff knew us by name after the second day. We enjoyed many hot and iced cappuccinos with many pastries and desserts. Room Service is included and we had breakfast on our balcony one day. Entertainment, activities, and music you could find everywhere. My husband and I played Country Music trivia and got 30/30. Fun. I love the Solarium pool because it has stairs and I have a mobility problem. I was disappointed because it was cold. Our friends said the same about the outdoor pool. We preordered 2 bags of laundry. We could have gotten away with 1. The laundry no longer comes back on hangers and takes 2 days. We did not use the Spa. The most inexpensive massage was $300. Wi fi was great. Shopping had a variety. Jewelry, clothes, alcohol, tobacco products, watches, etc. Casino is non smoking. We had $1300 in onboard credit. We quickly lost $100 and chose not to darken the doors again. The Sunset Bar is attractive. My husband is a cigar smoker. Not a lot of shade. Disembarktion We had a 4 hour delay because Port Everglades was closed to to high winds and torrential rain. Instead of getting off at 0730, we got off around 12. We drove home and arrived around 6. Today is grocery shopping and unpacking. We had two very happy kitties.

We booked through the cruise line

We booked through the cruise line

Our best excursion was in St Lucia. Open air fun bus and beach escape. Highly recommended.

Which excursion? Taste of Local Rum You travel in an air conditioned taxi to the proprietor They discuss the history and culture You get to taste rum punch, pumpkin juice with rum, and a few more rums The food varies but we had conch fritters, chicken fingers, jerk chicken, and banana pudding soaked in rum They sell rum and T-shirts. We bought 2 bottles and a T-shirt. One bottle is for my brother in law who is keeping an eye on our cats. Today was an at sea day. We ate in LaPetite Chef. We had a burrata salad, seafood boulibase, filet, lobster, and either rice pudding or ice cream sundaes. Unfortunately, there was a medical emergency and the theatre was closed. Prayers. Tomorrow, is our last sea day. Mostly packed. Eating in Murano tomorrow.

Just finished breakfast Mostly packed

Two full days at sea Having room service breakfast this morning- no service charge for Retreat Going to do most of our packing Liz and I are going to Sushi on 5 for lunch My husband is going to Luminae for their burger - one of the best ever A day of eating, drinking, napping, and relaxing Going to La Petite Chef for dinner

Lied maitre d Cosmin from Romania Had a great excursion in Antigua Taste of local rum Besides rum, they served conch, chicken tenders, jerk chicken, salad, and bread pudding Bought a T-shirt and 2 bottles of rum for $60 Had dinner in Luminae and saw the show before heading to bed Getting room service breakfast tomorrow to eat on our balcony Two full days at sea before we are home

Maitre d Regan

I am answering the best that I can. What questions am I another answering? We did not do anything in Tobago Do not know who the maitre d is in Luminae Had a great time in St Lucia Took an open fun bus with unlimited drinks and beach - Pilgrim The water was warm and beautiful $20 for two loungers and an umbrella Bought our 10 year old granddaughter a necklace and bracelet for $20 Bring cash There were vendors selling food, drinks, jewelry, foot massages, etc. When we got back, went to the Oceanview for lunch. We went to the Sunset bar so my husband could smoke a cigar and had drinks. Took naps. Went for dinner in Luminae. I had a cold corn soup which had shrimp and an avocado ring, delicious. For my entree, had prosciutto wrapped chicken breast. My husband had the short ribs which were fork tender. Our friend had tuna which was delicious. All four of us had crème brûlée for dessert. After dinner we did a little window shopping and played slots. The show was a comedian who was very funny. After that, we called it a night.

I am reading everyone’s comments Last night we went to the martini bar before the show The show was a magician After that, we headed to bed The ship was really swaying Today, we are in St Lucia, beautiful We we’re on a fun bus with unlimited rum punches, beer, and soda Spent 2.5 hours at the beach - Pelican Landing $20 to rent 2 loungers and an umbrella The water was great A lot of vendors selling food, drinks, and jewelry- bought a necklace and bracelet for our 10 year old granddaughter for $20 Did some local shopping- a magnet for me and a shot glass for my husband.

Trinidad and Tobago Unfortunately, our excursion was cancelled No reason given Went to Cafe Al Bacio and had iced cappuccinos. Had a bit to eat in the Oceanview Cafe Went to the Sky Lounge and painted watercolors and played Country Music trivia, got 30 out of 30 Relaxing until dinner in Luminae For entertainment, they have a magician tonight

Did a bit of shopping in Barbados. My husband got a shirt, ball cap and shot glass. I got a straw bag.

We were in Barbados today. Did the Best of tour. By the time we got back, we’re exhausted. Went to Luminae for dinner. The amouse bouch was watermelon and feta with basalmic glaze. Delicious. Had the tuna tartare which was a bit spicy. Unfortunately, my duck confit was inedible. My husband had French onion soup and a NY strip.

Yesterday, we arrived in St. Maarten. We did a 4.5 hour bus and boat tour. Very enjoyable. Not bad for $79 each. The boat tour included all you can drink rum punches, beer, soda, and water. We got back and headed to the Oceanview Cafe for a bit before a nap. All of the top officers had a soirée in The Retreat Lounge was a nice touch. We ate in Luminae for dinner. Each of use had French onion soup from the Main dining room. I had a veal chop with veggies. My husband had eggplant parmigiana. Our friends had sea bass and surf and turf (extra $35) Each of us had the chocolate soufflé with coffee gelato. Excellent food a service. I wanted to see the cabaret show but was too tired. My husband went with Liz. The, he went to Deck 15 until 2 am. Today, we are in Barbados.

Day three was another full day at sea. Had breakfast in Luminae. I had the eggs Benedict and my husband had a cheese omelette cooked perfectly. Another day doing our own thing. Explored the shops, nothing special. Played slots. Spent $25 and won $25. Had lunch in Luminae. My husband had burgers. Our friend had a shrimp po boy and a salad with chicken and a green goddess dressing. All excellent. For dinner, we went to the Lawn Club on Deck 15. My husband started out with a pepperoni flat bread, filet, and cheesecake. I had a filet along with a shrimp and scallop kebab, and carrot cake with vanilla ice cream. Service and food were excellent. After dinner we went to the Martini Bar on Deck 4. We hung out for a while. Then I went off to our room while my husband went to Deck 15.

Day two was a sea day. We had breakfast at Luminae. Our friends decided to eat in the Oceanview Cafe. My friend and I hung out at the solarium pool while our husbands hung out at The Sunset Bar on Deck 15 where they smoked cigars and drank bourbon and Long Island iced teas. Disappointed the water was chilly. That night, we ate at The Porch. All of the food has been excellent except here. My husband, who is allergic to shellfish, had a half a Cornish hen which was just ok. The three of us had the seafood tower, which cost $15 extra each. The lobster was overcooked and would not come off the shell. You get 6 mussels, 4 huge shrimp, 4 scallops, a lobster tail, and seafood salad. Food is subjective and someone else might love.

The embarkation process was a breeze. The hotel shuttle dropped us off at the terminal. There is a separate entrance for Retreat to the left. You show your passport and boarding pass. You take the elevator to the second floor and go through security. You enter the Retreat Lounge where they come to check you in. There is coffee, cold beverages and various snacks. Once you board, you can drop your luggage off in the room. Then we headed to the Retreat Lounge on Deck 5 where they have a full bar, various cold beverages and snacks. What surprised me was they did not ask for our sea pass. They we mustered outside of Quisine. We went to lunch in Luminae on Deck 3 which is stunning. Excellent service. My husband had their burger which was cooked perfectly and tasted divine. The rest of us had the lobster roll which was excellent. For dessert we had white chocolate mousse with strawberries and basalmic glaze - yum. You are allowed to go to your room at 1:30. We got a sunset Sky Suite. Very satisfying. We met Deepack, our room steward. Very present, friendly, and can not do enough for us. There are 3 closets. The only think we have asked is for extra hangers. My husband asked for the mini fridge to be emptied. He even filled it with water and soda. We ate at Tuscan that night, one of our favorites. Food and service were outstanding. I had a meatball appetizer, half an order of carbonara, filet, and a pistachio crème brûlée that I am still thinking about. My husband had a goat cheese salad, chicken parmigiana, and lemon cheesecake. We went to the theater where there was dancing, singing, and acrobatics. Very enjoyable.