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Grenouille21

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Posts posted by Grenouille21

  1. 15 hours ago, ShillyShally said:

    Oh cool, I didn't realize Royal had many 8 days - that should be a blast!!

     

    And I get that - for me it's been over a decade and all about the animal connection so I don't even think of it as hard - it makes some travel more adventurous but we've found some amazing food in cities we never expected and it often takes us off the beaten path!  Travel can get tough though - and I fully admit some evenings it's about the more convenient and less healthy vegan options but I love to cook and love veggies so at home we rarely eat out.  On Indy we got amazing veggie sushi at Isumzi, the chef just went crazy making us stuff, we were so stuffed!  We've found sushi is an easy go to at island resorts since chefs are usually happy to get creative with what they have on hand at the fresh sushi bars.  Quite a few Royal ships even have vegan menus now for dinner in the MDR BUT we never made it to the MDR and Indy is one that has it - usually for cruising it helps ensure we never overindulge on food lol!

     

    I had such good food on DCL as a vegan.  We had a fantastic Head Server/Dining Room Manager who we schmoozed (I was sailing with a friend and her kids, and she is GREAT at schmoozing people) so he had his friend the chef make special off-the-menu food for me that was fantastic.  

     

    I am still conflicted about animals, but there are a lot more reasons why this is best for now, anyway.  

     

    15 hours ago, ShillyShally said:

    Kudos for braving and doing the humane society volunteering - sorry it was calamity!  Thanks for the pics, so happy to hear it's run well!

     

    I am sad it went this way.  I really didn't make it clear that all of the guys who were helping us were no more than 18 years old.  So again, these guys are not "in charge" and it just wasn't a good day.  We helped the animals and had fun doing it, and I never had a concern about the animals' treatment.  

     

    13 hours ago, TanaQ said:

    Fantastic review.  My son wants to go on Symphony next.  Your review makes me want to go ASAP!

     

    Do it!  Book early and just do it.  You won't regret it!  

     

    13 hours ago, Marbel69 said:

    Great review of the Humane Society - I personally would have been a little leary not knowing if the animals had been vaccinated or not.  And once I saw all the fleas, I probably would have called it a day.

     

    I know shelters won't put animals in the adoption pool unless they are vaccinated.  These guys/gals had missed their flu shots and were so little and completely isolated, I wasn't too worried about disease, just fleas.  I am a teacher and every year some classroom in our school has an issue with lice so bugs are a trigger for me.  

     

    None of the kittens had fleas, as far as I could tell, and if there were an issue with it they would have had it.  So I am sure the fleas were a one off, and that it was taken care of.  Of course I wasn't sure of that at the time, which is why I asked to try something else.  The guy took us to the thrift shop but we got sidetracked by the cats and, well, the rest is history.  If the cats had been unhealthy I would have left. 

  2. Day 7 continued
     
    The taxi pulled up to the Humane Society, I paid our fare, and we climbed out of the (not murder) van.  
     
    Now, when I had planned this, we had 3 options: Humane Society, Soup Kitchen, and Salvation Army.  I know myself fairly well, and I do not do well with homeless animals.  Meaning, I want to take them all home. It breaks my heart to think of all of the animals that do not have homes, or live in tiny spaces, with little to no human interaction.  Breaks my heart.  So I told DD in no way would we be going to the Humane Society.  No no no no.  When I spoke with the head of Hope Floats, I told her we would like to work in the soup kitchen.  Yes, homeless humans are sad as well, and I understand that people may not understand why I seem to care more about the animals.  I guess it is because the animals don't understand their circumstances.  Ugh I can't even talk about it.  It all makes me sad but I really did not want to go to the Humane Society.  But Cathy talked me into it.  How could I say no?  
     
    I wasn't really sure what to expect, since we hadn't been in contact with anyone actually in the Humane Society.  And I hadn't really thought about that until the moment we got out of the taxi.  What are we supposed to do here?  Who are we supposed to talk to?  What are we even going to do for 2-3 hours?  I started to feel nervous.  
     
    I am going to sidestep here to say there was some information that I did not find out until later, which affected our experience on this day.  I hesitated to share any of our experience here because I didn't want to make the Humane Society sound bad, but I wanted to be honest about our experience.  Let me be clear: this is not about the animals or their conditions or their treatment.  That is not where this is going.  The things that made this an odd experience had nothing to do with the animals, and nothing bad happened, and despite how things went I would still recommend this experience to anyone looking to volunteer or adopt an animal in Nassau.  So as you read this, keep in mind that there is an explanation at the end, and that at no time did anything bad happen to anyone or any animal and that is not where this story is going.  So exhale and read on. 
     
    We walked in to what was obviously a veterinarian waiting room. There were 4 or 5 people waiting, all with dogs.  There were 2 young men in an enclosed reception cubicle, and one was on the phone.  We walked up to the counter and said we were here to volunteer, and he said to have a seat.  We admired the dogs in the waiting area.  One was a little brown puppy named Chocolate, who was sleeping in a basket.  One was a little dog wrapped in a blanket.  One was a big dog that barked at any dog who came in to the room.  There were a few others who came and went.  All of the women with the dogs were very nice.  
     
    We waited, and waited.  30 minutes passed, dogs had gone in and out of the waiting room and vet's office, new dogs and owners had come in, and we were still waiting.  I was hoping someone would come along soon so we could get started, so DD could get as many hours in as possible.  
     
    Finally one of the guys in the cubicle waved us back through a door.  He didn't say much, just that this other guy would show us what to do.  The other guy walked us through the building, through a smaller building where there were a few animals in smaller cages (this was where the animals who would be having surgery were; the cages weren't their regular homes, but we didn't know that until we walked through later and took a little more time).  We went outside, walked past some large outdoor enclosures with dogs, past some other buildings (the whole place is a compound, with several small buildings, shelters, and outdoor enclosures), and over to a cinder block building that had a big dog in a fenced area next to it, and a bathtub on cinderblocks with a tap in the middle.  
     
    "You're going to wash some puppies" he said.
     
    "What?" I said.  "Um, well, part of that sounds OK, but part of that is a little bit of a concern because we have never washed animals before."
     
    "No problem," he said.  "Its just like you wash yourself."
     
    No.  It is NOT just like you wash yourself.  It is nothing like how I wash myself.  I do not try to claw my way out of the tub, screaming, only to be picked up and put back by a giant.  
     
    But we were up for helping in any way possible, so he handed me a jug of soap, fished 3 puppies out of a small enclosure, and went about his work cleaning out their little area.  
     
    Have you ever bathed a puppy?  How about three of them at the same time, with people (including yourself) who have never bathed animals before?  
     
    Hilarity ensued.  
     
    I have no idea how to bathe puppies.  But this is what we did.  
     
    I sort of wet the puppies first, cupping water in my hand and rubbing it on the puppies' backs, thinking that was probably a good way to begin. The puppies did not think this was a good way to begin. 
     
    I had no idea how to hold down a puppy and get soap out of a big heavy jug, so I put the jug in the bathtub (we didn't fill the bathtub, just let the water run with the drain open), opened the jug, tipped it to the side, stuck my fingers in there and smeared soap on DD and DS's hands.  As I was doing this the puppies tried to climb out, we picked them up and put them back, they tried to get out, etc.  And they were yelping and whining.
     
    Meanwhile the big dog in the fenced in area next to us decided this would be a great time to escape.  The fence was about 4 feet high on one part and very tall in other parts.  The dog basically climbed the short part and just scooted itself up... up... up... and over the fence.  The guys in the building didn't see it happening because they were very busy and they were inside so I started calling to them "Hey, HEY!  HEY the dog is getting out, the dog over here, its climbing out of the fence... hey... um, its over the fence....!" and finally one guy came out.  
     
    "I knew the dog was crazy but I didn't know he was that crazy."  And he calmly took the dog and actually I have no idea what he did because I was trying to keep 3 puppies in the tub.  
     
    So we managed to soap them up and then we cupped water in one hand while holding the puppy with the other hand and rinsed them off.  I have no idea if that is how you do it but that is how we did it.  DS and DD had no idea what they were doing, and were constantly just laughing and going "Aaaah, AAAAAH! MOM!  Its trying to get out, help... HELP!!" and I had to try to help them but also keep my puppy in the tub and in case you can't tell it was like some sitcom moment but we were actually living it.  
     
    This makes it look so calm and peaceful and in all honesty I have no idea how I managed to get a photo of this.
     
    47486994062_d7b362a0c4_k.jpg
     
    But then how do you dry off 3 puppies?  I don't know how I actually managed to do this and not have it end in disaster but I think I had DS hold my puppy down and his puppy, and I grabbed a towel, then gave it to one of the kids and lifted the puppy into the towel and they wrapped it around the puppy.  Maybe, or maybe I did it myself and handed them the toweled puppy bundle.  I don't know.  It was chaos. 
     
    We gave the guy back the clean puppies (I wish we had snuggled them a bit more but we weren't really thinking clearly) and he handed us another round.  These puppies were smaller, and younger, than the first set.  
     
    I felt so so so bad for these puppies.  They were screaming.  Screaming.  They hated the bath so so so much.  They were trying to get out even more than the first round of puppies.  We were talking gently and calmly to them but that did nothing.  We managed to get them soaped and rinsed and toweled, but as I was drying mine off I noticed fleas.  I pulled back the towel and there were fleas everywhere.  I looked at DS's puppies and there were also fleas everywhere.  DD had given her clean and dry puppy back already but it likely had fleas, too.  
     
     
     
    I tried to wash the 2 puppies we still had again.  I looked at the directions on the soap and it said "For best results leave on for 5-10 minutes."  No, that's not happening, but I tried my best to keep the soap on for a while.  But they were soooooooo unhappy with this idea.  I tried my previous method of rinsing which was cupping water and rubbing the puppy with the water but that wasn't getting the fleas off.  I held the puppy's back in the water stream to try to wash off any dead fleas and that puppy did not appreciate my efforts.  We tried to wash DS's puppy again at the same time and it was the same thing.  
     
    I couldn't get the fleas off.  There were just so many of them.  
     
    I suddenly had visions of us bringing fleas back and infesting the ship, and infesting the airplane, and infesting our home... I have no idea how fleas work but I was not interested in finding out.
     
    I wrapped up my puppy and snuggled and did more calm quiet talking and got her calmed down, but I was still so freaked out about the fleas I wanted to give her back to the guy.  I told him they were covered in fleas and we couldn't get them off and all he said was "Oh, they're supposed to have had their shots."  And that's it.  He put them back in the cage.  We picked fleas off ourselves and I asked the kids if they wanted to try something else and they said yes.
     
    I asked if we could do something else, and he walked us back to one of the main buildings.  
     
    We waited in the hallway for a while as he disappeared into some room.  A woman walked by, and she was wearing a name tag with her name on it (of course).  Her name rang a bell, and I realized it was the name the woman from Hope Floats had told me would be a contact for verifying DD's community service hours at school.  I stopped her and said we were here from Hope Floats, and that we had been washing puppies but they had fleas so we were hoping to do something else, and I thought maybe she would take over for the guys who didn't seem to know what they were doing.  She did not, however.  She said that perhaps the guy who was helping us (whose name I did not know) would have us walk some dogs.  Sure enough, as though she had summoned him, a new guy came out of a room with leashes and said we were going to walk some dogs.  Ok, we don't really have much experience with that either, but at least we won't get fleas.  
     
    So he rounded up 3 dogs.  DS got a dog who had free reign over the whole complex.  DD got a mama dog.  I got a dog that had a LOT of energy.  A LOT.  The guy took us out through a parking area that had cars and trucks of people who worked there, on a dirt and gravel area.  As we walked through, we noticed that under every single car and truck, hiding in the shade, was a cat.  We had noticed a few cats roaming the property, and here were a bunch more.  I have no idea if they belonged to the Humane Society or not.  Maybe they just know this is a place that animals hang out?  Maybe they belong to people but come here to get extra food sometimes?  I still don't know.  It was really funny to see, though.  
     
    The guy told us to go down the sidewalk, around the bend, and to the big open area.  
     
    "[This dog] knows where to go.  He will show you the way."  
     
    Ok.  
     
    So off we went.  DS immediately fell in love with his dog and nicknamed him Burger.  Burger was pulling at the leash to go faster, so DS ran with him a bit.  My dog was pulling at me to go faster, and I wanted to run, but DD's dog seemed more timid.  You can see how far behind she was.
     
    32596957727_d7e125f4eb_k.jpg
     
    DD tried to encourage her, but she kept stopping and trying to turn back.  I took my dog back and tried to get the mama dog to go along with "the pack" but she was having none of it.  We really tried, but we are super inexperienced so DD just walked her back.  
     
    DS and I ran our dogs around the bend to the open area, where they walked around and did their business.  The neighborhood was beautiful, and if you have ever driven through Nassau we were near the Ardastra gardens/zoo that is one of the excursion options on many ships.  In fact, unbeknownst to me, a friend had just been in Nassau a day earlier, on the Dream, and had gone to Ardastra, and had passed the humane society and heard about it from her tour guide.   
     
    Our dogs were done, so we went back to the Humane Society.  
     
    The dogs were returned to their places and we were told we would be going to the thrift store.  As we were walking thorough the complex, we said we really didn't have experience with dogs, but were very comfortable with cats.  He showed us the "teenage cats" house, and then the kitten house and I guess we must have had a big reaction because he ditched the thrift store idea and said we could just hang out and play with the kittens to help socialize them.  Fine by me!!!
     
    I don't know how many kittens were in there, maybe 10-15, and to be fair most were probably closer to a year old, so not really what you think of when you hear the word "kittens" but they were still very playful and curious.  This was very familiar territory for us as we have 2 cats at home, so we just dove right in.  Within a few minutes DD had a kitten in her lap and DS was playing with a few kittens.  
     
    40573765073_3832a27468_k.jpg
     
    They had named all of the ones that were interacting with us.  
     
    We named this one Mittens, for obvious reasons.
     
    46802529014_f617f73195_k.jpg
     
    We have nicknamed one of our cats at home "Mittens" for similar reasons, though she is polydactyl so she really does have "mittens".  
     
    We probably stayed there for an hour, just playing and petting them.  I tried to get some of the shy ones to open up, and a few of them did.  There were a bunch of cats in one corner, sleeping and just being lazy, so I went over there to see them.  There was a table there, that had a shelf down under it, maybe a foot off the ground.  A few cats were on the table and a few cats were on the shelf.  
     
    While I was petting one of the cats who was on the floor over there, a cat emerged from under the table and startled me for 2 reasons.  1) I had no idea it had been under the shelf, and 2) it looked like a watered down version of one of our cats!
     
    46816107824_65d148b7e3_k.jpg
     
    Our cat:
    47539808381_c2dcf5212f_k.jpg
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    She is the polydactyl, who has mittens:
     
    46816166324_1e5e2f3521_k.jpg
     
    And for good measure, our other cat, who looks like a kitten but will be 17 years old next month:
     
    46624357505_2aa49b8fc4_k.jpg
     
    Back to the Humane Society...
     
    These two were soooooo cute, but when I got close the one that is staring at me ran away.
     
    47539770231_f13b54c4af_k.jpg
     
    We played for a while, and then it was about 1:15.  We hadn't had lunch, and the ship was leaving at 3:30, I think.  I collect magnets from everywhere we visit, and I wanted a t-shirt, so I decided we should leave.  I was getting anxious about having enough time to get to the ship.  
     
    We walked back through the buildings, this time we took our time and looked around a bit, and that's when we figured out that the one building was the surgery waiting room, or whatever.  There were some TINY kittens in there that were SO SO SO cute!!!!!  
     
    We found the guy at the front desk, and said we had to leave, and said thank you, and asked how to get back to the port.  He said he would call a taxi.  
     
    Now, what I found out later was, the people who were supposed to be "in charge" of us were on vacation, and no one had stepped up to be our volunteer guide.  
     
    When we got home, I emailed the founder of Hope Floats, who I had talked to on the phone and via email, who had set this up, and asked about our experience.  She told me, and I shared our experience (very, very politely and pretty much the way I did here, which hopefully does not make anyone there look bad).   They were supposed to give us a tour of the place, tell us about it, ask us what we wanted to do, and be nearby while we were volunteering.  Pretty much none of those things happened.  I only knew the names of 2 people there, and one was only because she was wearing a name tag.  
     
    I hadn't expected a big welcome party or anything, but in my experience with volunteering there is usually someone there who greets you and is in charge of the volunteers for the day.  But those people were on vacation.  That's why we waited for 30 minutes.  That's why we were thrown into bathing puppies.  That's why we didn't know anyone's names, or anything about the facility.  That's why the technicalities of volunteering felt disorganized, even though everything else there seemed very organized and well-run.  There was no one in charge that day.  It happens.  The place was obviously still running smoothly.  Everyone was busy, animals were taken care of, no one was running around frantically trying to keep it together, it felt like business as usual, which is good because they were doing a great job with all of that!  They just didn't know what to do with us, and if that is the worst thing I can say about them, then I consider that no big deal.  If anyone feels differently, I could further explain my position. 
     
     
     
    We rode back to the port.  On the way, I saw this sign, and had DD take a photo.  Right as we passed this group of people moved in front of it and just stood there, like they were trying to hide it.
     
    47487006892_6f7c2d85ac_k.jpg
     
    46624452315_1a5c38d205_b.jpg
     
    It must really be a secret.  
     
    Do any of you know why I thought this sign was funny?  Think way back to the 1980's... or maybe 1970's.  I'll leave you to ponder that mystery.
    • Like 1
  3. 37 minutes ago, lcpagejr said:

    Yes...we will be on Adventure of the Seas in 9 days.... Review to follow!!

     

    Awesome!!!  Will be watching for this, for sure!

     

    32 minutes ago, Cel_cruise said:


    We were on Navigator out of Galveston a few years ago and I love that ship class! Adventure and it’s awesome itinerary would have been high on the list of my preference for our upcoming April vacation! We also cruised Liberty out of Galveston...I suspect that I will prefer the size of those ships to Symphony especially with a port intensive cruise..Just a little more relaxing...
     

     

     

    I really want to try a Freedom Class but can't find an itinerary that will work.  Freedom is in San Juan forever, it seems, and while their Southern visits some ports I REALLY want to see, it is SO port intensive I am not sure it will be a good choice for us.  Indy's Caribbean itineraries are too short, and the European itineraries I want are not on dates we can travel.  Liberty is in TX and doesn't seem to go beyond the Western locations we have already been to (Cozumel, Jamaica, etc.).  I am sure I will try one soon enough, just need to figure out which one.  

     

    Gosh, life is so challenging.  

  4. 16 minutes ago, lcpagejr said:

    We are cruising on the 8 day itinerary April 13th.... I plan on writing a review however it will be no where near as detailed , humorous, and well put together as your review of Symphony was!!!  LOL  BUt hopefully I can give you some information for you to look forward to

     

    Thank you for your kind words.  Oooh, yes!  Are you on the Adventure?  I would really appreciate hearing about it so I can start planning.  I am certain that your review will be awesome and informative!

  5. 3 hours ago, ShillyShally said:

    Sounds perfect!  Which ship/line?

     

    Adventure of the Seas.  Trying out a smaller ship to see if DD likes the club better.  Ok that is only a small part of the reason, really it is because of the itinerary and wanting to try a smaller ship in general.  I booked it before we sailed on Symphony, because I got a GREAT price.  

     

    Also I keep meaning to tell you that I was vegan for 5 years, and gluten free for 4 of those same years.  Travel is one of the reasons I stopped being vegan, also because it was just too much to manage, and also because I was pretty much living on the vegan junk food (chips are vegan, and we have a vegan gluten free bakery down the street...).  Anyway, every time I see your signature I think "I should acknowledge the vegan connection" and then 5 seconds later I see something shiny and forget.  

  6. Day 7 continued
     
    We left Johnny Rockets and headed off the ship.  It was nice not being on a tight schedule, since we had docked early and got up early.  
     
    33599253738_0ac09e1a6b_k.jpg
     
    It was weird.  When we headed down, as we got to the gangway we were diverted and told to go to the next exit... through here...
     
    32583754557_00ef85bc8f_k.jpg
     
    Which was odd, Because it was clearly a crew area, and depressing because those are the luggage cages that would be taking everyone's belongings off the ship the next day.  
     
    So, on to our plans for the day.  
     
    DD is in 9th grade.  Part of her 9th grade graduation requirement is that she has to do at least 10 hours of community service by the end of May.  She has taken zero initiative on this and before our vacation she had done 2 hours, because her BFF's mom organized something for their group of friends.  I went back and forth.  Do I butt in and schedule it (she would probably need me to transport her to most service places)?  Do I leave it up to her and let her learn the consequences?  Tough parenting call.  She tends to ignore her responsibilities and hope they will go away, and that doesn't happen, so then she gets overwhelmed and has no idea what to do.  If she would ask for help in the first place this wouldn't happen, but that's a story for later.  
     
    So I remembered that sometimes cruise lines have volunteer excursions available.  Unfortunately ours had no opportunities (one later popped up but we had plans already).  So I did some digging.  And I found Hope Floats.  I am not affiliated in any way with Hope Floats.  I do not get any compensation or benefits for mentioning them.  They do not know I am reviewing this cruise, or any of this.  This is a genuine recommendation (as was my recommendation for Royston in St. Kitts- which was also unsolicited).  Both Hope Floats and Royston are excellent and I want to give back by giving them the credit they deserve.
     
    I contacted Cathy at Hope Floats because all of their Nassau excursions seemed to begin at 9:30am, and we were supposed to dock at 10 and debark at 10:30.  I didn't know if it would be OK for us to be "late".  She replied that it was no problem, and she thought the Bahamas Humane Society excursion would be a good fit for us.  We talked on the phone and agreed to set this up.  She called them and made sure we could volunteer for the day, and gave us the go ahead to book this.  Yes, you pay to volunteer.  No, you are not "getting" anything for your money.  No free lunch, no air conditioned bus, not even a murder van.  Though I am certain you could find a murder van if you wanted to.  Do I know where the money went?  No.  Do I care?  No.  Why not?  Because they are connecting people with people in need, and that is a good thing, and in one way or another the money is going toward a good thing.  And that's what matters, right?  Right.  
     
    So we left the ship, and went into the port that some describe as "scary" or whatever because there are people "harassing" you (no they are competing for business not harassing you, harassment looks very different and if you don't know that consider yourself lucky).  I found a guy who was looking for people to put in a taxi, told him where we were going, and he led us to a taxi van (very different from a murder van as it had actual glass windows).  We were with a few other groups who were going to resorts.  It felt a little weird going to the Humane Society when everyone else has their bathing suits, beach bags, and towels.  I was almost embarrassed, like the others in the van would think we were looking down on them for indulging in an AI resort instead of doing community service like we were.  We weren't looking down on anyone, I just hoped it didn't seem like we were.  
     
    So off we went through Nassau, on the most perfect day ever.  The colors of the Bahamas never cease to amaze me.  
     
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    33649378108_ae17ab5675_k.jpg
     
    BTW those were all taken from the van, with my phone, as we were driving.  I have no idea how they turned out so amazing.
     
    After a short drive, we arrived at the Bahamas Humane Society.  
     
    I swear I had planned on writing this part up tonight but it suddenly is almost midnight and I have been exhausted at work all week.  More tomorrow, I hope!
    • Like 2
  7. 10 hours ago, Judyrem said:

    I plan to avoid the buffet too, I eat way too much.🙄  I want to go Johnny Rockets as much as possible for breakfast,.  My granddaughter loves pancakes and bacon, so it is all good for me, and I love poached eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DNN8LVX/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=     Best mask ever, no CO2 build up and I used to dive all the time, I am picky about my snorkel masks.

     

     

    Oh yeah, eating too much is definitely a problem with buffets.  Lunch is provided for us at the school where I teach, and it is served buffet style, with a salad bar and 4 dishes (main, vegetarian main, vegetables, side) and dessert.  And there is something about the setup that makes me eat more than I would if it were served to me on a plate, or in portions.  

     

    That mask looks good!  I might upgrade us now that I know about the CO2 thing, though ours have been fine and we do slide them up now and then to talk to each other or look fo each other.  

     

    10 hours ago, ShillyShally said:

    So true!  Though I will say when we did an 8 night on Carnival having that 8th night really made me feel like I had truly gotten a week's worth - I think it was having a full Saturday on board at the 2nd end (it was a Sat-Sun cruise).

     

    This is good to hear, as our next cruise is an 8 night Saturday to Sunday, with 2 sea days, 3 port days, then 2 sea days.  I am hopeful this feels like a very luxurious vacation!

     

    46 minutes ago, 2Long2NxtCrz said:

    I think it'd be cheaper for me to get contacts, which I was thinking about.  I don't wear them due to problems they were causing me years ago, but having them to use for a week just for snorkeling (or swimming)?  Seems like the way to go.  I wasn't kidding about being very blind, not legally, but so bad that I doubt it'd be feasible to get lens with the right correction in a mask (large glasses definitely start to look like coke bottles, even with high index lenses).

     

    I've sent hubby the information about full face masks and we're for sure buying him one.  I think we might buy me one, too.  I figure my daughter can always use it, too.

     

    Thanks for all of your help!

     

    I wear contacts, and they work well with the mask for snorkeling.  Give it a try!  The disposable ones are great, as mentioned below.  I use the same brand and change them every 2 weeks, and it works out great!  I also take mine out as soon as I get home from work (if we aren't going back out) and any time we are at home for a while I do not wear them.  I also do not sleep with them in, which is what causes problems for a lot of people.  Maybe get a trial pair and see how it goes!  That could literally open up a whole new world to you!

     

    36 minutes ago, 2Long2NxtCrz said:

    Thanks for the information.  I've not done snorkeling on a tour so wasn't sure how strict they'd be.  If I go, I definitely wouldn't free dive!  (Doubt my ears could take it.)

     

    It's definitely best if you're compatible.  One of my daughter's BFF's grandmother is my cruise companion.  We have a blast, quite honestly.  But that's rare, I know.  I hope you can work something out!

     

    And thanks again for a marvelous review!

     

    I would totally get along with her BFF's mom, but not sure she would travel without her husband and other daughter.  It would 100% solve the DD problem.  

     

    Speaking of which, she shared more about why she hated it.  She said it was because for a lot of activities 12-17 year olds were all together, and she wished there had been separate rooms.  That is what she meant by too many people.  Well that isn't going to change, but I know for sure there will be fewer teens on our next cruise (smaller ship = fewer people = probably fewer teens) so hopefully it will work out next time.

     

    5 minutes ago, Coralc said:

     

    If you are looking at contacts, look at Acuvue Oasys lenses. They are very smooth and comfortable to wear. A great improvement over lenses of years ago. :classic_biggrin: Snorkeling is really fun, when you can see everything clearly. 

     

    These are the ones I wear, and I agree they are comfortable and much better than contacts of the past.  Very low maintenance, and easy to wear even just for a few hours.  

    • Like 1
  8. 5 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

    Sometimes with the app, I found I had to sign out and back in to have it updated.  Other items might have been updated as well closer to the date.

     

    For our Symphony cruise, the first night (Day 4) iSkate was showing at 7:15pm and 9pm.  Second night (Day 6), it was on at 7pm.

     

    This is what messed me up on getting there on time.  We had planned to see the Day 4 show at 7:15 but then decided to see it on Day 6.  I didn't look at the day in the app and thought Day 6 was at 7:15.  So we arrived as it started.  

  9. 1 hour ago, seanjulz said:

    So after my last email where they told me there is activites on everyday i replied and asked if they saw the picture i had attached that showed this was not the case and got the following response 

     

    Thank you for contacting the Cruise Administration Department.
     

    Here are the benefits of purchasing The Key:

    - Priority check-in and boarding (not applicable in Vancouver, Canada or at any ports in Australia). 

    - Private lunch at Chops Grille on boarding day from 11:30 AM until 1:30 PM - this does not need to be reserved, as the dining team will be expecting guests who have purchased The Key package 

    - Exclusive carry-on luggage service offering drop off at the Theater (until 1:30 PM) and delivery to your stateroom - up to 2 carry-on bags per guest* 

    - Daily private hours at onboard activities like the FlowRider, Rock Climbing wall, Ripcord by iFly, and ice-skating rink (private hours will be provided with the guest's SeaPass with welcome letter) 

    - Priority port of call debarkation. 

    - VIP seating area at shows in the Main Theater, Aqua Theater, Studio B and Two70. 

    - VOOM Surf & Stream (1 device) 

    - Choice debarkation with an exclusive à la carte breakfast from 6:30 AM - 9:30 AM 


    Should you have further queries, do not hesitate to contact us.


    Kind regards,

     

    Sandy Rubi


    Cruise Administration
     
     
    TO which i have bow replied asking if they even read the email before replying with their generic replies

     

    This is kind of why I haven't emailed anyone about our experience.  First of all I don't know who to email to actually get a non-generic reply and second of all I am afraid I will just get generic attempts at "placating" me when I am not in need of placating.  I just want to tell them about my experience and how it did not match what they had promised, not to get some sort of compensation or because I am angry, but because if I feel this way it is likely others do too, and Royal should know. 

     

    Anyone know who I could email about our experience with The Key?

  10. Day 7.  The Last Day.
     
    It doesn't matter how long your cruise is, the last day is always sad.  Well maybe unless you go on one of those World Cruises that are 150 days long.  Then maybe you are ready to resume life on land.  
     
    33649093968_68968535d1_b.jpg
     
    32583498367_763f646855_b.jpg
     
    47473125852_947334f373_b.jpg
     
    32583496077_28f184c134_b.jpg
     
    Today we would be docking in Nassau at 10:00.  We woke up at around 8:30, and when I went outside I saw this:
     
    47512098671_1ca830bd1e_k.jpg
     
    Which is strange because it meant we were approaching Nassau.
     
    32583427777_d41603e24b_k.jpg
     
    I'm not sure I have ever been on a ship that arrived early, but maybe I have.  Doesn't matter, we were there and that's what's important.  
     
    40546112413_df9b6192cb_k.jpg
     
     
    47525806931_4df98c28d5_k.jpg
     
    We did a 180 so we could back into the dock.  Wouldn't it be funny if cruise ships made that beeping noise when they backed into a dock?  
     
    47525897251_f68277d547_k.jpg
     
    That meant our side of the ship would be against the dock.  This meant I could watch us dock.  
     
    Celebrity equinox was already there.  Show off.  
     
    40560112973_8559662872_k.jpg
     
    I tried to raise the dead (you know who I mean) and only one of them thought this was worth watching.  I now wish I had taken a photo of all of the heads I could see looking over their balcony railings, watching us dock.  
     
    32583705417_a031f53727_k.jpg
     
    Here comes the Pilot!
     
    46610617435_d5bc60bd55_k.jpg
     
    We would have lots of new neighbors when we returned later.  But for now, it was just us and our show off Celebrity sister.  
     
    Sloooowly backing up now...
     
    47473357152_e897397eeb_k.jpg
     
    47473360432_1be437dab8_k.jpg
     
    I've always wondered how these massive ships dock.  I used to sail at overnight camp, on sailboats that could hold 4-6 girls.  I was quite the sailor, but even so every now and then I would hit the dock too hard, or fly past the mooring and have to try again.  I know cruise ships sometimes have to try again, and again, and again.  It was smooth, so we wouldn't have to try again, but still, I was very interested in how this would work.  
     
    46610637275_8a456efb28_k.jpg
     
    This gave me pre-nightmares.  The kind of nightmare you have while you are awake and nothing bad has happened, but it really looks like something bad could happen at any moment.  This guy was out on the black thing, with his feet in the water, and all I could think was "What is he DOING???  What if he falls!??!"
     
    46610640145_8f1991d6a0_k.jpg
     
    I had started to go back inside because, well, pre-nightmare.  But I couldn't tear myself away.  I was behind the glass now, though, because I wanted to hide if something bad happened.  (Nothing bad happened). The guy was farther off the black thing at one point, and that is when I hid behind the glass.  You know, because then I can't see anything.  Behind glass.  Clear glass.  Yeah not sure what I was thinking.  
     
    46802444534_7dbe6b96d5_k.jpg
     
    So it seems he had been pulling a very thin line out of the water.  By the way, if you know what is going on, and I am sure many of you do, don't tell me.  I like my uneducated version better.  Its more fun.  
     
    47473374812_e520950867_k.jpg
     
    Now even I know that line isn't going to hold the ship.  I've seen the lines that hold the ship and that ain't it.  But I couldn't imagine what he was doing with that tiny line.  Line?  Rope?  I don't know.  I haven't sailed in 30 years.
     
    47473374812_e520950867_k.jpg
     
    Ohhhhhhhhh, there's a bigger line/rope there, and the smaller line/rope is pulling it.  Ok, that's making more sense now.  
     
    47473381762_090f1a3311_k.jpg
     
    Now that I was fairly sure the guy wasn't going to fall in the water, I was fully invested in watching.  At least for 5 more minutes.  They hooked the line on that little forklift.
     
    47473381762_090f1a3311_k.jpg
     
    And the forklift started to drive away.
     
    47473385002_619d507e54_k.jpg
     
    47473385002_619d507e54_k.jpg
     
    I decided to film this part, for some reason.
     
    [MEDIA=vimeo]328084456[/MEDIA]
     
    Interestingly, this is when I decided I was done watching this and we should go get breakfast.  I'm so disappointed in myself.  But, in my defense, we were eating at Johnny Rocket's for breakfast (included with your cruise fare!) and then we had plans, and I didn't want to spend all morning watching us dock.  Next time.  Maybe.  
     
    Johnny was calling my name, so off we went.  Why?  Well let me tell you.  1) We had not successfully had an official breakfast in a buffet or restaurant once on our cruise. This in itself is both shameful and impressive.  2)  We had held out on the buffet so long, I decided to go the distance and avoid it again.  3) I don't even like buffet eggs, so that wasn't really a sacrifice.  4) I DO like buffet waffles, and the strawberry syrup that always happens to be nearby, and the whipped cream that also happens to be nearby (but only the real whipped cream, not that solid stuff that looks like whipped cream but tastes like paste.  5)  Not that I was planning to eat waffles anyway.  6) Or strawberry syrup.  7) Or fake whipped cream.  And 😎 because I wanted an omelet and I forgot that the Solarium Bistro exists and also has an omelet station.  
     
    Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!  (At Sea!)
     
    33649335968_c6e4d05e7d_k.jpg
     
    I was very happy to get my omelet.  It was good!  Nothing like the disappointing room service eggs. The potatoes were basically French fries, so that's awesome.  And the toast is toast.  
     
    47526119941_8bb20b05a6_k.jpg
     
    Somebody got this well-rounded meal of pancakes and bacon and someone else got French toast and bacon.  
     
    46802470824_b361f947b3_k.jpg
     
    46610678245_e3a8eeff8e_k.jpg
     
    Neither of them got the potatoes.  I did not want to share, but I did.  A little.  Luckily they liked their food so it was all good.  We ate outside and it was so nice. It was quiet, sunny, but we were in the shade so it wasn't hot.  It really was the perfect outdoor dining situation.
     
    I wasn't sure what to do when we were done.  Do we still get a bill?  Do we just leave?  The servers were fawning all over this (admittedly adorable) baby who was hamming it up for them but I asked at the door and they said we could just leave.  Oh, I had ordered a Diet Coke (don't judge, I need my caffeine and I do not like plain coffee, lattes only for this gal) and it was included in the beverage package, as was the orange juice my kids ordered.  So we paid nothing for the meal.  
     
    I am going to be mean and stop here, because it is late.  Sorry!!!!!
    • Like 1
  11. You guys, I had a panic moment (OK, panic 30 minutes).  My photos disappeared from my phone.  I have no idea where they went.  They are on the SD card, but the SD card gallery is gone.  I can't get the SD card out, either, because you need some pin-sized thing and an actual pin doesn't work, apparently.  I thought I was out of luck!
     
    Thank you Google, for backing up my photos!!!!!!  They're here, but it is taking me twice as long to load them to Flickr.  I am hoping to finish this up tonight or tomorrow.  
     
    OMG it is a miracle.  I restarted my phone and it is back to normal.  Well, I can't get those 30 minutes of my life back, but at least now I can get the photos updated and finish this up tonight or tomorrow. 
    • Like 2
  12. 19 hours ago, perfect match said:

    I have the iSkate show on my must do list on Symphony already. At this point on the app it does not indicate a 7 PM show. I hope that changes once we are onboard, or I will have to miss something else in order to see it. For now, keeping my fingers crossed, but I am fully aware that there are so many wonderful things to do on Symphony that I will never in my wildest dreams be able to fit in everything I want to do. We have been on Oasis twice, and I still haven’t managed to fit in everything there! 

     

    Grenouille21, great trip report! Thank you for taking the time out of your busy life to share with us!

     

    Keep checking the times.  I don't remember when I saw this.  There was another one, maybe at 4pm one day?  We were struggling to make that one work (shocking, I know) then I saw the 7pm one and it saved us.  Also, they had to reschedule a couple of Aqua Shows because of the ship's movement, so they may shift things around once on board, too. 

     

    13 hours ago, Ralphinsc said:

    This has been a wonderful review @Grenouille21 . We fly out for our pre-vacay in Miami for our Symphony cruise early tomorrow morning and your review has been the perfect thing to get me hyped, ready, and set for this cruise! Thanks again for all the wonderful pictures, comments, and information! As a parent of a teen and with the Key for this upcoming cruise, this has been the perfect lead-in review to what we are looking forward to. 

     

    Awesome!  I know you will have a wonderful time!  I want to hear all about your Key experience, and compare notes.  I am hopeful that ours was a one-off, because I hate to think that others are not getting what they expect/hope for.

     

    10 hours ago, dreadpirate3 said:

    I've enjoyed your review so much, especially since I am 52 days from my first cruise on Symphony!

     

    On any RCCL ship, in the main dining room, you can ask for freshly whipped cream, sweetened or unsweetened. 😍

     

    NOW YOU TELL ME!!!!!!  🤬😡🤬

     

    😜

     

    This should really be a sticky thread on the RCI page.  Just that particular bit of info, as a thread title, pinned to the top, because who WOULDN'T prefer real whipped cream over the weird almost-solid stuff?  

     

    10 hours ago, ShillyShally said:

    Ha, I was wondering if they were now doing this on all ships!  We found this guy our first night on Indy when we got in an elevator - it was fun!  

     

    So fun!  Is he only on Oasis and Freedom class?  We will be on Adventure next year and I would love to try my luck at finding him.  If not, I guess we will have no choice but to sail again on RCI. 😉

     

    9 hours ago, Cel_cruise said:

     


    Ralph - we sail on Symphony with the key the week after you! Would you mind trying to post the info in your welcome letter about the Flowrider / zip line usage etc when you get on board? Would love to have a little more info on Symphony and Key!!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

     

     

    8 hours ago, Ralphinsc said:

     

    I'll try to post it in the Key thread. I don't generally access the forums from my mobile device though, so there's no telling how that will go! LOL!

     

    Yes, I want to hear about your experience, too!

  13. Day 6 continued
     
    We had plans to see iSkate 2.0, the other ice show on Symphony.  No reservations are needed, just show up.  I was a little nervous about finding seats, so I planned to arrive early.  You can guess how this went by now.  But for a different reason!  The Cruise Compass says the show starts at 7, but somehow I had 7:15 in my head.  I swear I checked the app and it said 7:15, and I swear I checked it later and it still said 7:15.  So we show up at 7 ("Yay, we're early!" I thought to myself on the way down there) and the freaking doors are closed.  NOOOOOOOOO!  How did this keep happening to me?????
     
    Luckily they let us in, and we found seats.  Thank goodness because once again this show was awesome!  This is a fun show, no story, set to music you will mostly know, where they just go out there and show off their moves.  If you like the first show, see this one.  It has all the skating of the first show.  The only thing missing is the drones.  I have video, but when I posted it on Instagram and Facebook I received a notice of copyright infringement for the music from BOTH sites, so I don't want to post the video here.  Songs include: We Are the Champions, Bohemian Rhapsody (not the whole thing), This is Me, and other upbeat songs.  
     
    46596111085_ddb71914a2_k.jpg
     
    46596111085_ddb71914a2_k.jpg
     
    The do all of these projections on the ice that add to the show and make it more immersive.
     
    47511550181_94e64758a8_k.jpg
     
    40545579203_c4518f6b64_k.jpg
     
    This was during Bohemian Rhapsody, I think.
     
    47511574701_ede17deb30_k.jpg
     
    During a song from The Greatest Showman which I cannot share here because I do not own the rights to the song or music (OK Facebook/Insta, I GET IT)
     
    40546075073_321b9a6788_k.jpg
     
    Great show, once again.  Try to sit in the middle and in the front, especially with kids as they will high five kids etc.
     
    After the show it was time for dinner.  I had the Caprese Salad as a starter.  Could they have used less balsamic?  I don't think so.  But still, otherwise very difficult to mess up a Caprese Salad and this one was fine.  
     
    47512073441_72f8322d02_k.jpg
     
    I believe I also ordered the Onion tart because I couldn't imagine what that was, and Shadeik said it was like a quiche, and I like quiche.  I guess I really liked it because I ate it without photographing it.  
     
    I think this was the tenderloin, which was pretty rare.  I know, I had a lot of red meat on this vacation.  I hardly ever eat it at home, so on vacation I order it often.  DD ordered a steak "medium" one night and it was SUPER rare (Shadeik took one look at it after DD cut into it and was like "Whoa, that's not medium, can I get you a new one?" so they were on top of it), but that and this were the only times the meat was a bit undercooked.  
     
    46596654265_c25b03ddb8_k.jpg
     
    For dessert... Baked Alaska!
     
    47459303802_9e6224fbd6_k.jpg
     
    Side note: the first time I had Baked Alaska I was in... Alaska.  
     
    DD ordered the chocolate lava cake.
     
    46596663255_7be1c2236f_k.jpg
     
    On the way up to wherever we were going next (probably to the room, to change into "normal" clothes, as it had been formal night again), I heard piano playing and singing, and I thought "Wow, the guy at Schooner's has his microphone turned waaaay up and has a huge crowd tonight!  As our elevator ascended, we spotted the Stowaway Piano Man!  
     
    40546101253_52169a7910_k.jpg
     
    This guy moves all over the ship, and you never know where he'll be.  Sometimes he is in an elevator (DS found him there twice) and sometimes out near the dining rooms or other locations.  
     
    Super short video:
     
    [MEDIA=vimeo]327644520[/MEDIA]
     
    You never know when or where you'll find him, so keep your eyes open, and watch other elevators through the glass, too!   
     
    So we went up to the room, and this guy was waiting for us:
     
    33635394398_44f27d2a6e_z.jpg
     
    Then probably DS went to the club and DD and I went to check out other places besides Schooner's.  We checked out On Air, the karaoke club.  I had stopped in there after the adult comedy show, and there were teens there, so FYI this is a family-friendly place.  Would your young kids be entertained?  Maybe earlier in the day but not at 10pm.  I swear they brought in ringers for karaoke.  There is NO WAY there are that many amazing singers on one cruise ship, even if it is the biggest cruise ship in the world!  NO WAY!  A family sang Bohemian Rhapsody (I wonder if that is a popular song on the Rhapsody of the Seas?  Probably not), two teens sang "Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night," a woman sang "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and it went on and on.  Really fun, and usually standing room only!  Bring your A Game to karaoke on RCI!
     
    Then it was back to the room for bed.  Our last day was tomorrow!  Hard to believe it was almost time to say goodbye to the Symphony, and to our vacation!  In the past we had scheduled a few days at Disney or Universal after a cruise (sailing in and out of Port Canaveral) but this time the kids were leaving to visit their dad's family the day after we returned, so no post-vacation for us.  
     
    We were docking in Nassau on Day 7, and our plans were a bit different than usual.  
    • Like 2
  14. 1 hour ago, zooma said:

     

    I zoomed in on your pic, and it looks like the brand is Wildhorn Outfitters. Their website does show a few different kinds. (Wonder if all airtight enough around the eyes to keep contacts from floating away.)

     

    Anyway, looks like a good rec -- thank you for that and for this terrific review!

     

    Ha ha typo!  I meant Wild horn.  Man, autocorrect is trying to make this into a very different kind of review!

    • Like 3
    • Haha 1
  15. 11 hours ago, perfect match said:

     

    When I was looking at your underwater pictures, I was wondering if you had forgotten to do the same thing I’ve been known to do on occasion - forget to put the camera on it’s proper underwater setting! Actually, I’m more likely to forget to take mine OFF the underwater setting so the pictures I take on land end up looking bad. The underwater setting has filters that reduce the color distortion and make the colors in your pictures look more accurate.

     

    The camera that I have and use for snorkeling and shallow diving is Olympus Tough TG 2. It is an older model, and has truly lived up to the advertised feature of toughness! I’ve put it through a lot, and with the exception of some operator error, it has taken some great pictures! I am currently considering buying the latest model, Olympus Tough TG 5 since even the toughest of cameras can only take so much abuse! Besides, the TG 5 has some features like wireless photo transfer that my TG 2 doesn’t have. I will have to research that before I buy because I’m not sure what features the TG 5 actually has.

     

    I noticed that you and your kids have the full face snorkel masks. My husband has one, too, and he really likes it. I do want to pass on a word of caution about those full face masks because I would not want to see any of you have a problem that can easily be prevented. When you exhale, be sure you do so with enough force so that the air you are exhaling actually goes up through the snorkel and out. You want to be breathing in fresh, oxygenated air, not the carbon dioxide you just exhaled. In other words, you don’t want to keep breathing in the same air that is trapped inside the mask over and over again. If you aren’t sure that the exhaled air is clearing the mask, stop every so often and pull the mask away from your face, let it clear for a few seconds, then put it back on and continue snorkeling. Besides, it is a good idea to stop and get your bearings once in a while to be sure you haven’t drifted too far away from that snorkel boat you jumped off of, or too far from the shore if that’s how you entered the water. I’m truly not trying to scare you. I just want to offer a few tips to help keep you safe while snorkeling.

     

    BTW, I think your mini narwhals were actually Ballyhoo, the little striped fish were Sargent Majors, and the blue one looked like a Parrotfish.

     

    Now let’s get back to your wonderful review! I am thoroughly enjoying the journey!

     

    I thought I had it set for under water photos, but I think every time I turn it off it resets, so I have to do it each time.  It is also possible that I only thought it was set to under water.  But the non-under water photos look weird, so I was thinking I had it set properly for water?  Who knows!  

     

    I will check on our masks and see if they are the good kind.  They were fairly new when we bought them, and do far so good.  We do take them off now and then to talk, since we can't hear each other talk with them on. 

     

    Thanks for the fish help!  Always good to learn something new!!

     

    5 hours ago, mayleeman said:

    @perfect match I bought the Olympus TG-5 two weeks ago and will try it out on 4 snorkel excursions during our Reflection cruise starting April 12. I chose it because of the latest underwater camera reviews on DPReviews, which said the picture quality and availability of higher rate on 4K set it apart from comparably priced models. I will hopefully post some pics starting @ 4/15 or so if those might help. Allow for total inexperience with the camera!

     

    @Grenouille21 What a great journal! You might be able to color correct some of those photos in Photoshop. What do you use for your phone under water?

     

    I don't take my phone under water.  I leave it on the catamaran in my bag.  I am going to look up the Olympus camera and see if it might work better.

     

    4 hours ago, ShillyShally said:

    Ohhhhh these look neat - are they called anything specific and where did you find them?  I would love to try something like this!

     

    Looks like you have some good recommendations.  Ours are from Wild hard Outfitters?  Not sure the specific type. 

     

    3 hours ago, 2Long2NxtCrz said:

    This is such a great review!  Thank you for all of the photos and your humorous commentary!

     

    A group of family and friends went on the Harmony last June and we thoroughly enjoyed the ship.  It's just so big that it's really hard to do everything.  I'm amazed at the traffic flow and what a good job Royal has done with the design of these mega ships.  Even though our cruise, like yours, was packed to the gills, full up, it didn't feel overcrowded.  In fact, the Solarium was mostly empty.  I think that's because there's not much shade up there and only hot tubs on the Harmony, so it was just too danged hot most of the time.

     

    I have a question for you about snorkeling on your excursion, did they require life vests for all the guests or just the children?  Also, I'm thinking about getting one of those full face masks for hubby.  He loves snorkeling and we do cruise at least once a year so it'd get used.  I'm so blind that snorkeling is not really an option for me, sadly.  Did you say that you got your mask on Amazon?

     

    Lastly, I'd suggest trying to make friends with one of your daughter's besties' moms.  That way both families could go on a cruise together and your daughter would have a pal and you'd have an adult to hang out with (not all the time because I get that need to be alone to recharge, too).  From our experience (my daughter was almost 17 the first time we cruised and her 3 friends were already 17) the girls loathed the teen club.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, but high school girls are just so self-conscious and it seems even with a group of them that they couldn't enjoy themselves.  And honestly?  I'm not sure my son who was 17 on the Harmony bothered with the teen club, either.  It's just a hard age, not quite an adult so they can't go to the disco and yet they feel like they're "too old" for the teen club.

     

    Thank you again for such a wonderful review!

     

    Every one wore life vests while snorkeling, I think it is a requirement.  They said you could choose how much to inflate it, so if you wanted to free dive you could deflate it all the way, I guess.  But everyone was wearing them.  

     

    I would have a hard time vacationing with DD's friends' families, but I have thought about seeing if she can just bring a friend with us.  I would have to really like the friend, though.  

     

    • Like 2
  16. Day 6!  Day at Sea!
     
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    I couldn't believe how quickly the week was flying by.  Again, I hate having a port day on the last day, because it makes it feel so much shorter.  But I don't get to make up the itineraries, so what are you going to do!
     
    We slept in (big surprise, I know) and then by the time we all were awake and functioning breakfast was over, so we went down to the Promenade and got pizza for breakfast/lunch at Sorrento's.  DS headed off to the club, and DD and I were going to go up to the pool deck and get some sun and read.  However, they were setting up for a parade in the promenade, so we decided to stay.  Our usually spot was taken so we didn't get a very good view.  It was cute, though!  I know a lot of people are upset that Royal ended their contract with Dreamworks, and people are wondering what they are going to do.  I don't see a need to do anything!  Sure, my kids are too old for characters, but there was so much going on at all times, I don't really think characters make the experience that much better for kids.  With 1700 kids under 12 on board even without Dreamworks, I don't think Dreamworks is a make or break component of a cruise.  
     
    Who needs Dreamworks when you have pirates!
     
    She came down on Rising Tide, which is an excellent way to make an entrance.  If I ever have to make an entrance on the Promenade it will definitely be like this.  
     
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    There was some story, but I don't know what it was.  Pirates, Vikings, etc.  It was fun, but we couldn't really see it so we watched for a short time and left. I really just wanted to enjoy the sunshine.  I am making it sound awful, and it definitely wasn't.  It was rather fun, and very festive.  When you can't see it, though, there is no point in sticking around.
     
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    So up to the pool deck we went.  It had been very windy up on deck all week, and today it was very rocky.  There were some really big swells out on the water that had us rocking back and forth.  DS ended up putting his bracelet on, and I did too, eventually.  But we stayed out for a long time, relaxing.
     
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    Ha, it looks completely calm there, but I was on Deck 16 so you can't really see anything.  It also got a bit worse later.  Not horrible, it was kind of funny, actually.  
     
    DS had promised he would go on The Abyss today.  He was done with the Flow Rider because he had fallen when running around and scraped up both of his knees, and he said he couldn't do the knee boarding thing any more.  So he had promised he would do The Abyss, and I held him to it because I knew he would regret it if he didn't.  Both kids tend to wait until the last day of vacation to try anything, and then they are like "Oh that ws fun, can we do it again?" and I'm like "No, we leave tomorrow, and you could have been doing this for 7 days if you had tried it when I first told you to try it."  
     
    Anyway, he tried it.  They let me go up and take photos, which I already shared, of the glass ledge overlooking the Aqua Theater and the water.  But I'll share it again, with DS's feet again, because yikes.  Also, feet pictures with shoes are OK, though still usually unnecessary, it is the bare feet pictures that I have issues with.  In this case I feel like the feet help you understand that you are looking down.  I am overexplaining it.  
     
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    And the outside of The Abyss, again, just because
     
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    Here's DS getting his last minute instructions.  As I have said, listen and do what they tell you.  There are some sharp turns and you can get banged up if you don't sit the way you are supposed to.  
     
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    HE said it was fun, but he didn't do it again.  He told me I should try it.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA no.  
     
    I went to the Solarium for sunset again.  I could swear this was the night the ship was rocking and rolling, but then I see we had the skating show and I thought they would cancel that for motion.  They did postpone the second aqua show, Aqua Nation, due to ship motion.  Anyway, I think it was this evening in the Solarium when I was in the pool with one other person.  You can see out of the windows of the Solarium from there, and see the horizon, and we were definitely going uuuuuup and doooooown.  The water in the pool was sloshing one way........ then the other way........ then back again............ and so on.  We were laughing when we had a big swell and it went up like 12 inches.  They had closed one of the pools earlier due to the same thing.  I heard kids screaming (with joy, always with joy) and I figured it was due to the water going back and forth so much.  
     
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    I'm going to pause here.  School and work start tomorrow, and I have to get some sleep.  Sorry!!!  I had really wanted to get this done before school and work started up again, but grad school and parenting got in the way.  
    • Like 3
  17. Day 5 continued
     
    After reconvening in the room, I tried to open the bottle of wine.  They had thoughtfully provided one of those corkscrews that you twist into the cork and then pull it straight out.  Well I could not get the cork to budge.  I let DS try and he couldn't do it, either.  I looked it up online and found all kinds of tricks that involve walking the bottle and a shoe against a wall, but I didn't want to do that to our neighbors.  We tried so hard but the darn thing wouldn't budge.  I ended up having the room attendant open it.  He put the bottle on the ground and squeezed it with his feet then pulled up on the corkscrew with both hands.  POP!  It came right out.  I had probably loosened it for him.  
     
    One thing I have heard often when discussing cruises is "I can't have a balcony stateroom with my children, I would be terrified that they would go overboard!"  Well I wouldn't really worry about that.  First of all, you have to turn the balcony handle up and pull at the same time, and the door is really heavy.  Second, you can lock it way up high so no one can open it.  It is safer than having a balcony in a hotel room, where they don't always have all of these safety precautions.  I never hear people refusing to stay in a hotel with a balcony due to fears of their child falling.  
     
    Anyway, I am sharing the photo because I remember a heated discussion once where someone insisted that this lock did not exist on cruises, they had never seen it, and that meant it wasn't there.  Well, it is there, at least on Symphony.  
     
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    We went to dinner, and I stopped to take a stealth photo of this art on the way in to the dining room.  I like those chairs a lot.  It would be cool to have a huge dining room, and one of those long tables that goes on forever, and have those chairs at either end.  
     
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    Our beverage server, I Putu, decided it was time for the kids to mix things up with their drinks.  They had been drinking non-alcoholic mojitos, and daiquiris, and he thought they needed to expand their options, so he brought us the bar menu.  I wasn't going to post it, because it would take up so much space, but I think this should work.
     
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    This looks like maybe it is the prime rib.  I wish I had taken photos of the menus, but I somehow thought they had already been shared somewhere.  Unfortunately I cannot seem to find them anywhere to double check what we ate each night.
     
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    Dessert was pavlova.  The pavlova and fruit were good, but the whipped cream is that whipped cream that is thick, and obviously not actual whipped cream.  But I still ate all of it, so obviously it wasn't that big of a deal.
     
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    DD got the crème brulée.  She got this a few times, and DS got it at least once.
     
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    I have no idea what we did after dinner as there is no photographic evidence of anything.  DD and I probably went to Schooners and DS went to the teen club.
     
    And that's the end of Day 5!  Day 6 would be our last day at sea, as we would be in Nassau on Day 7.  The plan was to enjoy the sunshine, sit in a chair, and read.  DS planned to hang out with friends, or whatever he was doing all week.
    • Like 1
  18. 3 hours ago, Judyrem said:

    I can never free dive, I have extra adipose tissue which enables me to float forever but not dive, unless I wear weights.

     

    Your post is one of the best I have read!  Great job!

     

    I love when you dealt with lady saying the clothes look seeeexxxxy on your daughter.  LOL, who would buy that? 

     

     

     

    I don't think I'd be great at free diving either.  Some other people were doing it, and it was making me so nervous, even though I am sure they knew what they were doing.

     

    3 hours ago, SAmome said:

    Great review, thanks for doing it.

     

    Two oddball questions.

     

    Did you see anyone using Key to get FOTL access?  I don't mind the special Key hours but the slow moving nature of the lines for flowrider and hours and staffing of rock climbing would annoy me if RCCL sold any product that gave the opportiunity to move to front of the line.  (I'd be angry with RCCL, not Key purchasers.)

     

    Is the Helipad area off limits to regular guests?  Or maybe roped off for a certain time for an event?  I've walked out there on other cruises so just curious.

     

    I had thought my kids would go on the rock wall, but that never happened, so I have no idea what the line situation was up there.  I kept meaning to find out, then forgetting.  I never saw anyone jump the line at the Flowrider, but we only did the Boogie board side, and only around 5pm when the line was 8-10 people long (that sounds worse than it is).  I agree that having people jump the line would slow things down a lot.  

     

    Sometimes they had a divider down the middle of the Flowrider so 2 people could go at a time.  They could designate one side for Key/Suite/special people and one side for other people.  Then if no one is in the Key etc. line, they can pull from the regular line one at a time.  I feel like that would be a much better system than letting people cut.

     

    I think the helipad is off limits on Oasis ships, but I am sure someone else here knows better than I do.  One night I saw one guy out there, on one of the benches.  But otherwise the only time I saw anyone out there was that one evening.  We went out on the bow of the ship in Alaska, but only when we were in Glacier Bay.  

     

    1 hour ago, 03063Dad said:

    This is great, really enjoying it as we will be on the Symphony next February. That last comment about kids answering phones is spot on, my oldest answers the phone in hotels and cruise ships only. LOL I think he's trying to be helpful, he thinks it must be important.

     

    Do yours also have no idea what to say on the phone?  I remember having a basic script I was supposed to follow when answering the phone when I was a kid and the call was not for me.  "Hello?... No she's not here right now, can I take a message?" or "Hello?  Yes, she's here hold on..." But DD just went for it and answered all the questions as though I weren't standing right there waiting for her to hand me the phone.  Sigh.

     

    34 minutes ago, Illini_Fan said:

    We will be on the Symphony in June with our then 15yo DS - so I very much appreciate the extremely detailed and very well written and funny review.  thanks very much for doing this.

     

    My pleasure!  I am glad this has been helpful.  I have read some amazing reviews in the past that are responsible for me even considering cruising in general, as well as cruising on specific cruise lines.  It seems those are fewer and farther between now.  I get that it is a lot of work, but it is so helpful!

     

    2 minutes ago, exercisemama said:

    I have two boys will be with us on the ship in July, one will be 17 and one will be 18.

    I was hoping the two of them could hang out together in the teen lounge, especially if they want to play video games.  Is it true that the 18-year-old won’t be allowed in with his brother?

     

    I am pretty sure that won't be allowed, but I think it will depend on the crew members on your sailing.  I would have a plan B handy.  There is so much to do; I keep saying DS was at the club, but a lot of that time he was doing other things with friends, like mini golf, or getting food, watching people on the Flowrider, or playing ping pong.  

  19. 7 hours ago, siempredescalzo said:

    @Grenouille21 this continues to be a FANTASTIC review! I’ve been reading about how hard it is to get underwater pictures. I don’t have any camera recommendations because I only just got one myself for my May sailing, but which camera are you currently using for underwater shots?

     

    Thanks!  I am not sure what camera it is.  I am downstairs and it is upstairs and I am feeling lazy.  But I will check when I do my next update.  

     

    5 hours ago, lcpagejr said:

    Look forward to your added updates...daily!!  If I've learned 1 thing from your escapades...it doesn't appear "The Key" is a worthwhile investment...... not at $20/pp/day! 

     

    I agree.  The way we experienced it, it was not worthwhile.  I am hoping that others had different experiences.

     

    5 hours ago, blueridgemama said:

    Grenouille21:  Did you get to review the Key with Royal Caribbean Customer Service to tell them what worked and what they need to improve on? It is great to read about the Key benefits on these boards but RCI really needs to hear from Key users like you. Thank you for your great review and photos.

     

    I haven't, but I want to.  I am not sure how best to communicate this to them.

     

    Once when we were in the room the phone rang, and DD answered it since it was next to her bed.  All I heard on her end was "Yeah... no... yeah... no it's fine... OK... Bye" and I was like "Did whoever that was not want to talk to me?" and apparently they had been calling about The Key and checking if we had any questions or concerns.  I was like "Of ALL the things that is the ONE thing I DO have concerns about!" but she couldn't recall who had called so I couldn't call them back.  I couldn't believe she didn't hand me the phone.  

     

    Side note: neither of my kids reacts when our landline or the phone in a hotel rings.  And they have no idea how to answer the phone when it is ringing for someone else (because who would be calling them on our landline or in a hotel?).  But this ONE time, when I really would have liked to talk to someone, although it was on day 2 or something so I hadn't fully formed an opinion and was still keeping an open mind.

     

    1 hour ago, tcmagnum said:

    When we were snorkeling in the Cook Islands I used my iphone 6s in my waterproof case and pictures turned out amazing.  Maybe an option.   

     

    I'll have to try that.  All of the photos here (except the snorkel ones) were taken with my phone, so I know it takes good photos.  I am scared of ruining it of course.  Hmmm, will experiment.  I have a while before I need an under water camera again.

  20. Once everyone was back on the catamaran they hoisted the sails and poured the rum punch and we sailed back to the pier.  This took a while longer than the way out there, and DD and DS were still sitting under the catamaran roof so they were kind of inside.  I had gone out to take photos, and stayed there.  I went back to check on them and DS had his eyes closed and said he was feeling super seasick.  I told him to have a soda and come out on deck and look at the horizon.  I know soda helps me a lot when I am feeling nauseated, and fresh air and looking at the horizon help me when I am feeling seasick.  Sitting inside and closing your eyes is just about the worst thing you can do when you feel seasick.  So I got him a Sprite and dragged him out.  oh and I had him press on the pressure point that is supposed to help with seasickness, where the Sea Bands press.  I have no idea what DD did in there the rest of the time.  DS and I stood on deck watching us slowly sail back to St. Thomas.  He did start to feel a lot better before we got back, so some combo of all of my wacky home remedies must have helped.
     
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    You can see another cruise ship here, and there was another one behind it.  NCL and Princess were there, but this isn't where we were docked.  We were in another port, and we were the only ones there. 
     
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    And then finally, FINALLY, we saw our ship.
     
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    We got off the catamaran and explored the shops nearby.  I had promised DD another attempt at finding dinner clothes that weren't "seeeeeeeeeeexxxxxxxxy" and we had plenty of time to explore.  
     
    I had posted some thoughts about the excursion, but I feel bad.  I'm going to ask my kids what they thought of it.  I think I had different expectations.  
     
    So as we were walking from the catamaran to the shops, DS (who was now a lot less green than he had been on the boat) pointed out an iguana.  I wish I could think of a good caption for this.  
     
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    Then we saw more iguanas.
     
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    This was in with the shops and restaurants.
     
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    We looked around a bit, and... DD found a dress!  It was beachy, but not "seeeeeeeeeeeeexxxxxxxxxy" and we both liked it.  It looked a bit like a shapeless sack, but DD said it would be fine with a belt, and she was right.  Hooray!  We bought a few more souvenirs and headed back to the ship.
     
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    Not sure where we ate, probably pizza?  Then we went back to the room to change and figure out the rest of the day.  I sat out on the balcony and watched these pirate ships blast each other with cannons.
     
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    Then one of them sailed off to search for treasure, or something.
     
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    St. Thomas is really a pretty place.  I'd love to visit again!  
     
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    DS went to the Flowrider
     
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    Then DS went to the club, and I think DD stayed in the room.  I went to the Solarium to sit in the pool and then watch the sunset.  
     
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    I took an obscene number of photos of the sunset, which was less than spectacular, which means I was eavesdropping on someone's conversation and pretending to be smitten with the (lame) sunset.  I won't subject you to all of the photos, and I won't share the conversation.  It wasn't gossipy, just interesting.  They were talking about traveling, and different places, and music, and education.  
     
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    I texted DS to come back to the room and headed there myself.  DS texted me that there was alcohol "there".  At first I thought he meant in the club, and I was alarmed.  But no, he meant in our stateroom.
     
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    It was from Guest Services, from the guy I had spoken to about the priority debarkation in port and the Escape Room.  It was very kind of him to do this.  I really wasn't asking for anything or expecting anything.  After our cruise I received an email asking for thoughts on our experience, and I made sure to mention his name when asked for any crew members who had done anything to make our vacation better.  He was very nice, and again it was so nice of him to do this.

     

    • Like 5
  21. Day 5!  St. Thomas!
     
    As I was replying, I realized I hadn't included a few important details.  I'll add them in above, but I'll include them here as well.  
     
    When I had returned to the room after talking to Guest Services, the phone rang.  It was the Activities Manager, calling about the Escape Room.  I explained again that we had come back from our excursion late and we were rushing but did not make it on time, and was there any chance we could reschedule or possibly get a refund.  She said there were no spots left (so if you want to do the Escape Room book it in advance or as soon as possible on the ship because this is very popular, apparently) but she would gladly give us a refund.  I thought that was a great example of excellent customer service, and I thanked her over and over.  She really did not have to do that, we missed our reservation, but maybe the fact that I was polite and apologetic helped?  When I was at Guest Services I heard some other people really giving the GS person hell over something that was not remotely under their control (they were unhappy that their excursion left later than planned and that lunch on the excursion was served late).  They must see the worst of people in Guest Services.  They would see worse from me later, though it was over something that was more within their control.
     
    So on to day 5.  There is something else I forgot to include but will in a moment, as it is both about The Key and exiting the ship in port.  
     
    But first, Compasses!
     
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    We had to wake up earlier today, as we were supposed to meet on the pier at 8:15 for our excursion.  We had booked the Buck Island snorkel through Royal.  This was the only excursion I had booked through RCI, actually.  FYI, if you book excursions through Royal in Cruise Planner, keep checking the price.  This excursion dropped in price during one of the "sales", so I cancelled and rebooked at the new price.  
     
    I woke up with the alarm and checked out where we were.  Hello, St. Thomas!
     
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    We got our call that breakfast was on the way, so I roused the teens and before we knew it, breakfast had arrived.  I set up my plate on the balcony, and I think maybe DS joined me but probably DD ate in her bed again.  
     
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    You will all be happy to know that the pancakes were much better than the eggs etc. from the day before.  I forgot to order butter. You had to order butter and syrup separately, silly me I only ordered the syrup.  We finished eating and headed off the ship.  Don't forget the Sea Pass cards!
     
    Now here's what I forgot to mention yesterday, and one of the other things I had been discussing at Guest Services on Day 4.
     
    The Key:  When reading the benefits of The Key, it sounds like you get priority debarkation at all ports of call.  The wording, however, is quite nebulous, and inconsistent.  Let's review, from the Key letter in our room, the confirmation email I received from RCI, and Royal's own website:
     
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    So it sounds like Key guests get priority when leaving the ship in ports of call, no?  Now, I don't especially care about this, but since it is a listed benefit I wanted to try it, especially in St. Kitts when there was a massive herd of people exiting all at once.  I looked everywhere and could not see any priority line, or any sign for where we were supposed to go, nor had it been communicated how the "priority" would work.  Never saw a line or anything for debarking in a port of call.  I have heard it is only for tender ports, but doesn't the wording sound like it is for all ports?  
     
    So when I was talking to Guest Services about the Escape Room, I also asked about this, not in a "WHERE WAS MY PRIORITY DEBARKATION" way, but in a "Hey, I was looking and I didn't see it, could you let me know how to get this priority debarkation?"  Well the guy said "Oh no, that's only when the cruise is over."  I said "No, it is at ports, see this email from Royal Caribbean?"  "Oh no, that is only for tendering ports."  Well I pushed back a little and said "But it doesn't say that, it says 'ports of call'".  Well he made some phone calls and apologized and said we would have priority debarkation if I just said something to the crew members as we were leaving.  But there were no crew members anywhere except as you are actually exiting the ship.  Like at the doorway, checking your Sea Pass card.  At which point there is no need for priority because you are 4 steps away from exiting the ship.  So it never happened.  This was not a benefit to us at all but we pretty much did not need it as it never took long to get off the ship.  
     
    So I looked for the priority debarkation again when we were leaving St. Thomas, just to see if I had missed it during the mass exodus in St. Kitts, and did not see anything.  But it didn't matter because there were no masses leaving this time.  
     
    Welcome to St. Thomas!
     
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    We found the people holding signs for our excursion, and lined up.  There were 2 excursions lined up here, and we then split into 2 lines.  
     
    We boarded the catamaran and headed out to Buck Island.  We would be visiting 2 sites: one where we might see turtles, one where we would see a shipwreck.  When we sailed on DCL we visited Grand Cayman and snorkeled over a shipwreck, and it was really cool.  So this sounded really cool, too!
     
    It took 20-30 minutes to get over there, and we were sitting in the shaded part of the catamaran because I had this weird sunburn.  Does anyone else get that?  I feel like when I look at other people sunning themselves they are 100% evenly tan, and I look like a patchwork quilt.  I had sunburn in lines on my upper arms up to my shoulders, plus like one blotch near my wrist, and my chest was 100% red, my knees were sunburned, I had blotches of sunburn on my back... why does this happen to me?  I swear I use sunscreen and reapply often!
     
    We have our own snorkel masks.  I really do not like the snorkel thing that goes in my mouth.  Not only for sanitary reasons, but just because.  It always gets misaligned with the mask, there is so much adjusting, etc.  And I just don't like having it in my mouth.  
     
    So we use these:
     
    [IMG] 
     
    I do not work for the company or anything like that.  It has just changed snorkeling for us.  Nothing in your mouth, full view of the water, etc.  I really like these masks!
     
    Mask in action:
     
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    I think the first place we went was the shipwreck.  I could be wrong. It doesn't really matter, right?  So there were 2 "guides" but one seemed to be more in charge than the other.  Once we got to the spot, he was all business.  They had been handing out masks, fins, and vests, and everyone was getting ready, and it seemed like everyone else was ready WAY faster than we were (you probably guessed that would happen).  My fins were a bit too big, so remember to try them on as soon as they give them to you, because when I asked for a new pair I was told "Hmmm, that seems to be the most popular size, I don't think we have any left!"  
     
    Well she searched high and low and found... one.  Meanwhile the 2 guides had divided people up into groups and my kids were already out snorkeling and I had no idea which group they were in.  Some people were already coming back up, mostly kids who for one reason or another were already done.  Luckily one of them was wearing the fins I needed, so she handed them off to me and I hurried up and got out there.  
     
    The good thing about us wearing our own masks is it is VERY easy to spot my kids.  And we all go our separate ways, then come back together, then swim away, etc.  So it is nice to be able to look up and make sure I can still spot them.  When everyone has the same snorkel that is not as easy.
     
    My snorkel photos stink.  the only time I can get good under water photos is when it is really sunny and really shallow.  It was neither of those things.  Well it was kind of sunny, but it wasn't shallow.  The photos look dark, because of whatever setting I was using on this camera.  Ugh I don't like these.  So here.  (Imagine me dumping a pile of photos in your lap and stomping off.)
     
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    The shipwreck was actually really cool.  At one point there was a barracuda but I don't think I got any photos of it.  I think that was right when I joined the group.
     
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    So the one guide, the one who seemed more in charge, dove down to the ship, which completely freaked me out because it was far down there!!!  So naturally I did what anyone would do, I took photos.
     
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    I don't know what he was doing down there.  Maybe just showing off.  After I took this photo I swam away because I couldn't take it anymore.  I'm that person who, when I see someone on TV who is under water, I hold my breath as though *I* am also under water.  It makes me crazy.
     
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    It was cool, but there weren't many fish.  We did see some as we came back to the catamaran.  
     
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    We called these "Baby Narwahls"
     
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    Then we were all called back into the catamaran so we could go look for turtles.  This time I had all of my equipment, so while I waited for others to get in the water, I was mostly with the group this time.  
     
    It wasn't long before someone spotted turtles.
     
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    We left them to go explore some.  The guy dove down again, but this time he had a purpose.
     
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    He was picking up a conch shell that turned out to have a hermit crab in it and fire coral on the outside.  
     
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    We saw some striped fish.
     
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    There was a blue fish that was really pretty.  DD and I followed it around for a while.  It looks like everything else in this photo.  Can anyone recommend a good under water camera?  I need a new one.  
     
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    I guess this one is OK, but it is just coral.  But you can tell it was shallower here, which is why this turned out better.
     
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    There were other fish, but it wasn't terribly exciting.
     
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    DS spotted a stingray, so I went over to see that.
     
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    At some point the guy dove down again. This time maybe he was just showing off, but it was actually cool so I'll allow it.  
     
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