MtnBikerFallDown

You have been warned! I'm wordy, I jump around a lot, and I repeat myself. That being said, I had a blast on this cruise and hope you enjoy the review!

I'm not including pictures, as we did not take our good camera this cruise. I got only iPhone pics. So, they aren't wonderful, and so many others have posted great shots from these ports and this ship.

I'll post a day at a time, as there's no way it'll let me post the whole thing in one post. I told ya... wordy!

Background:

Last year, my hubby’s 40th passed virtually unnoticed. In the 2 months before, we’d lost my Dad to a terminal illness, moved into a new home we were sharing with my mother, and done a lot of additions to our part of the house. So, we just didn’t get to do anything spectacular for his. But, he’d done so much for me on my 40th. So, I was determined to make his 41st rock. I booked the cruise in August as a surprise. Prepaid all the stuff I could, including booking the excursions and everything. He had no idea. I finally told him on Christmas, so he’d have a little bit to prepare. He was blown away and super-excited.

We just returned from our first Princess Cruise (have done others), and we were just blown away. Definitely our line of choice now! I'll do a review soon, but had to post about one of the most wonderful things on the whole cruise. Valentine's Day came and the Captain and CD and her staff did a group renewal of vows in the Piazza for anyone who wanted to come. Beautiful ceremony with readings, a song and a beautiful service. They provided little veils with "I do" stitched in pink on the back for the ladies and red or black bow ties for the gents. You also got a nice little program and a certificate. No charge for any of this. They did a balloon drop at the end. It was just lovely and a total surprise to me! We enjoyed it and met several very sweet couples there, too. I'll TRY to attach a picture, but I'm actually quite bad at it, so if I fail, forgive me!

I just thought this was such a sweet, thoughtful thing for Princess to do. As it was Captain Yeomans last cruise before retiring, it felt even more special.

It was wonderful to get to say "I still do" to my wonderful hubby, even after 18 years of marriage!

OK, the room was wonderful! Despite being under the gym/spa, we never heard any noise from there. The room has NO cabins is shares walls with, so no neighbor noise! The only thing we noticed, and it didn't bother us, is there is an occasional "mechanical" noise. Barely audible, honestly. Only lasts about 15 seconds. But, it is repetitive, so if you have bat hearing, it might drive you crazy.

We noticed that this room looked bigger than the other inside cabins we saw. I guess it's where it's laid out sideways to fit in the slot left by the thermal suite. If ever we go on Crown Princess again, we will book this cabin for sure. We loved it!

Thanks y'all! We will head there as soon as we get on the ship! I think even with daylight hours only, he'll still get plenty of use out of it.

DH is a heat junkie, so the thermal suite sounds like his idea of paradise. I have a couple of questions, though. Does anyone know how much a pass for the week is for just one person? I hate the heat, so he'll be getting some well-deserved alone time in there.

Also, is it open 24/7 or does it have specific hours? He's a bit of an insomniac and our cabin is very near the thermal suite. I thought if he was up at an odd hour, he could go in there, get relaxed and come back to sleep.

Thanks in advance!

WHEW! You just made me feel great. We have a 10:45 out after our cruise and I've been really worried. So, hopefully we will have the same great luck as you! Thanks for posting!

I do have a sick sense of humor... so this is hilarious! :D

I'm not afraid of tendering, I'm am just not a fan. I have really, really bad balance. I trip over molecules of dust, I think! So, the transition onto the tender (or any other smaller craft) from the ship or the pier is always a "hold my breath" moment. Haven't fallen in yet, and haven't fallen ON anyone yet, so I'm doing good! :D

You will love Enchantment of the Seas! It's my favorite ship. It's smaller than some ships, but it seems like most everyone that sails it has a special place in their heart for it!

If you go to the Royal Caribbean Board and search for Enchantment, there are all kinds of posts about it.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=83

Enjoy your trip!!

Help ... I have a luggage tag that is clear on one side and tel color on the other. I cut down the printed luggage tag to fot. All pertinent information is visible but only on one side. Will this be okay or cause potential problems? Thanks!

I think so long as it shows on one side, you should be okay.

Not on a cruise, and not exactly someone we knew, but amazing still... catching a cab in Australia. The cabbie asks us where we are from and we tell him TN. He asks where in TN. We tell him it's a tiny town he's probably never heard of. He said, "try me." We tell him, and he tells us he worked in a town about 15 miles from there. My Dad says, "Oh, I owned a company there for years," and tells him the name. The guy goes, "Oh, the black trucks with the white lettering that do the electrical inside" a large factory there. We were gobsmacked. Turns out, he worked for another contracting company inside that same factory. From TN to Australia! Turns out we knew a lot of people in common. Most fun cab ride ever!

Thanks so much!! Got them :)

YAY! Glad I was able to help. I have to admit, I'm really diggin' the gummy bear pattern. I'm such a kid sometimes. :D

While we appreciate your opinion and you have valid points you did not answer the OPs question. BTW we don't like doing laundry either while on a cruise.

 

To the OP:

I have used the Purex pods before and I find them just as good as the Tide pods. Of course I use Purex Liquid Laundry Detergent too.

 

But if you ever sail on Royal Caribbean leave the pods at home since Royal does not have self-service laundry facilities onboard.

I've never used the pods (any brand). I should be getting the ones I ordered in a day or so. I'll try them out before I go to make sure I don't have any freakish allergic reaction to them!

Thanks so much for the answers and tips/tricks on this one! If I do have to launder, I will think of y'all as I'm toiling away in the laundry room! LOL!

Emily - yes, found out they've been discontinued. :mad: :mad: I actually just bought 3 econosize boxes on Amazon. :D

 

And just fyi - for travel sizes - love this website - http://www.minimus.biz/search.aspx?keyword=detergent. Laundry detergent and so much more.

Minimus has some really great stuff. I follow them on Pinterest and they have some of funniest posts, especially when Universities are going back to school. They stuff they pin on their back to school boards can be hilarious.

Put a folded washcloth in a baggie, then add your favorite liquid detergent. It'll soak in, and since it's not liquid any more, not have to be in your 3-1-1 baggie. Less risk of spilling than the powered stuff, too. Rub the cloth on stains to pre-treat, then drop it in the washer with your clothes.

 

We use (store brand) Woolite, which has less suds and rinses easily in the cabin sink... swish the washcloth in into the basin for hand-washing.

I had never heard of this. That's genius!

Right now there are some weird patterns on sale on Amazon. I got a 3 piece ebags kit in 2 different patterns. One has gummy bears on it and the other one has bicycles all over it. I don't care what they look like, so I was fine with it! They were only $24.99 for all 3 bags! I'm taking the gummy bear set and DH gets the bicycles!

http://www.amazon.com/eBags-Packing-Cubes-3pc-Canary/dp/B005LXPSEY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390397916&sr=8-1&keywords=ebags+packing+cubes

Hmmm ... I thought that the detergent used in the ships' machines had to be compatible with their water treatment systems, and that you aren't supposed to use Tide or All or whatever because it would mess up the entire system ...

 

On our longer cruises, we do use the self-laundry, we don't hang out but we do watch the clock to be sure and get back well before our time has expired. I use the little Woolite packets to wash some of my tops in the cabin sink.

I did not know that! I'll email Princess and make sure those are okay to use! I just read several threads that said they're often out of the detergent in the laundry rooms. Didn't want to get caught without!

Oh, and to whomever mentioned doing them in the 3-1-1 bag (I thought I quoted it, but it's not showing up), I had actually thought of that and figured I'd have to put them in there. I'm going to have the oddest assortment of items in there! I have CRAZY rosacea and I can only use these products that are handmade. They come in large, glass jars. So, I've had to scrape some out and put them in little plastic sample containers. It looks like I'm carrying a cosmetic sample buffet. LOL! But, it's worth it to not be splotchy and red and itchy all cruise long!

which cruiseline are you sailing on because some do NOT have a self serve laundry.....

Sorry, should have mentioned that! Princess, so I'm good!

When I'm forced to do laundry on our land vacations, I bring a couple sheets of these. (And I actually cut them in half lengthwise to get double bang for my buck - find that even half a sheet works well enough.) Detergent and dryer sheet all in one. Takes up much less space/weight than pods.

 

http://smile.amazon.com/Purex-Complete-Laundry-Sheets-Spring/dp/B0053XE87A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390330923&sr=8-2&keywords=purex+3

You know, I can't find these anywhere anymore! I did not realize Amazon had them. That would be nice, as they aren't liquid!

As I've said, I'm hoping we'll be able to skate by without doing it (I hate doing laundry at home, let alone vacation, LOL)!

I've read a lot of folks use Tide Pods to do laundry on the cruise. I hope I don't have to do any, but we're traveling with just a carry-on each, so I may have to! I found a different version of the pod-type laundry detergent at a great price today on amazon. Purex Ultra Pack, mountain breeze. As an add-on item, it's only $2.99 for 18! I found 5 tide pods to be that much at Target. I was already placing an order for some of the noro-virus proof hand sanitizer, so I just added this. Anyone ever used them? I figure how bad can it be, right?

http://www.amazon.com/Purex-Liquid-Laundry-Detergent-Mountain/dp/B007JYN2AU/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I would be very cautious. This company pretty much did not exist in any shape or form until 2013. they are not registered to any BBB, and almost no information about them is on the web. That's not a good sign. If it's a start up company, which lack of prior existence would suggest, it's pretty risky to trust vacation plans to a company less than a year old. If it's a company that has changed names... why?

http://www.ask.com/answers/431052981/is-cruise-air-package-a-legitimate-company

oh that would be awesome!!! Thanks so much!!!

I'll post pics as soon as I get back! I'll just add them to this thread, that way you'll be subscribed!

I am such a sucker. I always buy the cruise line kit! So, I am cruising Crown Princess on Feb. 8. If that's in time, I'll post pics for you!

We play trivia whenever we can. We have a "regular" team since five of us cruise together on trans-Atlantics.

 

That being said, we have a "game within a game." If one has a disagreement on an answer and gets "out-voted" by the rest they can take an "ITYS." That stands for "I told you so." They write it down on the back of the sheet. Frankly, that is worth more than winning to us.

 

If they are positive their answer is right, then the say "Final Answer" or "You can take it to the bank."

 

I can't tell you how many times we have said "we've had that one before" and gotten it wrong AGAIN.

 

The "best" story we have is the infamous "avocado" answer. Not sure I have it in the right order, though. The question was which "fruit" has the most calories. Answer on the sheet was "avocado." Argument ensues that it is a "vegetable" and not fruit. Couple of days later same question. So we all confidently write down "avocado." Our memories can be short but not that short (lol). Wrong, his answer sheet said something else. More arguments (lol).

 

Fast forward to the final day on the progressive trivia. First question: What is the main ingredient of guacamole? The poor host couldn't understand why we were all laughing so hard.

 

Then there is the question "What is the name of the horse in Jingle Bells?" We've seen the answer being "Bob" or "Bob-Tail" depending on the answer sheet. In reality, the horse has no name. I looked it up when I got home on the computer. Bob tail is just a description of the horse.

 

Tucker in Texas

I love the I Told You So game. I am going to add that to the group I play trivia with. At least once a week, someone will get voted down but turn out to be right. We should tally them up at the end of the night and give the "winner" a free drink. Fun idea!! Of course, the crew I play with are playing for high stakes! We play at a local pizza place for a free pizza!! That's almost worth fighting for. LOL

Did I read somewhere that you can use the punches for gelato at the IC as well? Or did I just hope I could do that?

Check out the Florida departures board. They have a ton of information on the FLL area and hotels.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=495

Emily, we've got to stop meeting like this! I too will be enjoying your two weeks onboard as we will join Emily on her cruise! Have a ball, but leave some sun and fun for us as well!

STALKER!!!! :eek::eek::D:D