Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #51 Share Posted October 16, 2012 We too were on this cruise. It was my husbands' and my birthdays so we celebrated in style. Enjoyed the whole cruise. Love the ship.We were at the terminal 10/7 by 1015 and eating our beef sandwich at the Park Cafe by 1130. Had our luggage when we got to our room and everything else for rest of week was smooth sailing. :) Happy belated birthdays! Excellent way to celebrate. I was also impressed by how quickly we moved through the terminal. Check-in was a breeze. Subscribing and can't wait for more! I am in the middle (well, Day 3) of my Allure review from the week before yours. :) I'm ready to go back! Hi Susan! I would love to turn right around and get back on that ship, lol. I'm reading your review as well! It's great so far! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SICruiseGirlNYC Posted October 16, 2012 #52 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Looking forward to the rest of your review!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BillOh Posted October 16, 2012 #53 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Yeah! Faith is back...can't wait for your review! It will be a real long wait to read your review. Just promise me to get it done before I leave! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #54 Share Posted October 16, 2012 So that Friday night, Wes and I headed out to explore Ocean Drive a bit and choose a spot for dinner. The street was full of visitors strolling about. Loved it! There's something great about a balmy evening when everyone's outside. The art deco buildings were illuminated against the night sky. Just fabulous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruzincurt Posted October 16, 2012 #55 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I'm excited in the anticipation of the rest of your review. Can't wait. You are tempting us with little bites at a time.:) Been on both Oasis and Allure so looking forward to reliving it with your story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #56 Share Posted October 16, 2012 After walking a bit, my body told me to slow it down a bit, so we turned around and walked back toward the hotel. We decided to have dinner at BLT Steak at the Betsey Hotel, since it was about a block away from our hotel. We had a lovely dinner there. Because we were a walk-in couple, we had to eat outside. That's what I wanted anyway lol. Why dine inside when you're spending the evening in Miami? :rolleyes: I decided to try the Miami Spice Menu (Miami's restaurant week). They had a 3-course menu for $39. Wes went with his usual for any steakhouse, a filet with fries. Gotta love him! First, we were served a chicken liver pate with pickled veggies, on the house. Pretty good: Then, the waiter brought out my heirloom tomato salad. Then came by fava bean and corn succotash. Very good: I don't remember what type of steak this was, but it was delicious, and just the right size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwende Posted October 16, 2012 #57 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Marking my spot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #58 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Wes enjoyed his filet and fries. The fries tasted like Boardwalk fries you would find at the Jersey Shore. I stole a few of those :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #59 Share Posted October 16, 2012 The meal was completed with a deconstructed s'mores, and some of their lemon cookies. I was so full, and wasn't really impressed with either dessert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisedreamer1 Posted October 16, 2012 #60 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I am looking forward to more of your review! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #61 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Right after dinner, we went back to the room to rest a bit. Saturday morning was filled with working to make arrangements to head back to New Jersey. While we were waiting for a confirmation from Royal that all was well, we had a late breakfast at the Front Porch Cafe, which is located inside the Z Ocean. They're well known for their breakfast items. I highly recommend this place for breakfast if you're in the area. I had their orange-scented French Toast, and eggs with a little salsa on the side. Wes had some eggs and toast. My platter of French Toast was so huge that he actually had a couple slices as well. It was delicious! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #62 Share Posted October 16, 2012 After breakfast, we relaxed in the room for a while since we were still waiting to hear from Royal. Once everything was confirmed and I had our flights booked for the next day, we headed to Lummus Park across the street to stroll the beach for a while. It was a pretty cloudy day and it threatened to rain, so we didn't stay long enough to swim. It's a lovely area though, and the water was nice and warm: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #63 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #64 Share Posted October 16, 2012 It started to rain, so we just rested for the majority of the afternoon. For dinner, we walked to Puerto Sagua. It was a pretty long walk! However, we saw so many recommendations for the restaurant that we just had to get there. You never know what's going to happen on Ocean Drive. We passed a restaurant/club (mind you it was still light outside), and there was a drag contest going on. The current contestant was doing a pretty fabulous dance number, going from table to table engaging the onlookers. Suddenly, she walked straight into the traffic and finished her routine out there. And you know what? The drivers weren't annoyed in the least- they waved outside their windows and cheered her on! Hilarious! We wanted some good Cuban food that wasn't too far away from Ocean Drive, and we weren't disappointed. Puerto Sagua isn't fancy, but the food is very good. Wes had chicken and rice, and I had some oxtail. Everything was great. The restaurant had a steady flow of customers of all types and backgrounds. Prices were very reasonable. You must stop by if you're ever in Miami. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #65 Share Posted October 16, 2012 After dinner, we took a ($6) taxi back to the hotel. I wasn't walking that again!:p I was determined to use the jacuzzi on the balcony, so we called the front desk to ask if someone could come and prepare it for us. Within 10 minutes, we had two attendants come to set it up, and they added whatever salts we wanted to the water as well. There was a control for the temperature and they confirmed that I wanted the water set at 100 degrees. There were lights in the jacuzzi and the colors would change every few minutes. It was a nice way to top off the evening. The next morning, our shuttle arrived bright and early to take us back to the airport. We had a smooth flight. It was so strange because during takeoff, we flew right over the Allure! I saw the pools and everything. At least we knew we would be back. :) In a little bit, I'll pick up on our time in Ft. Lauderdale two weeks later. If you're considering going to Miami before a cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale, do it! We had a great time and the QLS Shuttle's service made the 45-minute drive so easy. Then again, if you've never been to Ft. Lauderdale, there's plenty to see and do there first. Either way, you're in for a treat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted October 16, 2012 #66 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I have a thing for jacuzzis, I think its my true addiction in life! I must of inherited that from my mom :) I love the jacuzzi! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #67 Share Posted October 16, 2012 So here's where we try this again! Because we had to reschedule our cruise, we lost all our show and specialty reservations, as well as our cabana on Nellie's Beach on Labadee. At that point, we decided to just relax and go with the flow, and surprisingly, we were able to experience everything we wanted anyway! But I'm getting ahead of myself :p This time, we decided to fly into Ft. Lauderdale the day before the cruise (Saturday), out of Philadelphia. We flew Southwest for the first time, and couldn't beat the experience for the price. I found a deal on Travelzoo.com for a stay at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66. The deal included early checkin, a Tower Junior Suite, two free beverages in the hotel lounge, and two free Water Taxi tickets, all for $129. Excellent deal since the rack rate for the Tower Junior Suite was $199. So we caught a taxi from the airport. I was a little irritated with the driver because he ran the meter up a little by purposely driving waaaay slower than he needed to. The rest of the traffic was whizzing by. I gave him a look through the rearview and he sped up a little bit. I don't mind paying for services and we normally tip generously, but really...don't cheat people out of $2-$3. That would have been part of his tip, but it went into his base fare. Oh well. Anyway, the ride was about 15 minutes long. Should have taken about 10 minutes. We pulled up to the hotel and were checked in within about 5 minutes. Since we arrived around 3 PM, we were happy to hear that our room was ready. Our suite was lovely. You'll note that one of Wes' favorite things is a great view, so he tends to make a beeline for our balcony wherever we are: I emailed the manager before our arrival to let him know we were celebrating our anniversary/baby-moon. He made sure a plate of cheese and crackers, and two bottles of water (instead of champagne) was waiting for us, along with a handwritten note from him. Such a nice touch: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BillOh Posted October 16, 2012 #68 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I found a deal on Travelzoo.com for a stay at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66. The deal included early checkin, a Tower Junior Suite, two free beverages in the hotel lounge, and two free Water Taxi tickets, all for $129. Excellent deal since the rack rate for the Tower Junior Suite was $199. Should I feel guilty benefiting from your re-schedule? I booked this hotel for the first time for our next cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #69 Share Posted October 16, 2012 We had a great view of the Intracoastal Waterway from our huge balcony, as well as the hotel pool area: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyFred Posted October 16, 2012 #70 Share Posted October 16, 2012 The anniversary acknowledgement was very nice. I am traveling with a married couple who are celebrating their 25th anniversary. We arrive at the Pier 66 next Saturday, Oct 27. I searched for an email contact on the hotel website but couldnt find it. Would you mind messaging me with the info? I would like to surprise them with something like that when they arrive if possible. (and of course we are in separate rooms! :)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #71 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I have a thing for jacuzzis, I think its my true addiction in life! I must of inherited that from my mom :) I love the jacuzzi! So do I! I was so happy I was able to use that one. Should I feel guilty benefiting from your re-schedule? I booked this hotel for the first time for our next cruise. Not at all, I would go with a Tower Room if at all possible. The other rooms seemed a little motel-like. The upgrade is worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #72 Share Posted October 16, 2012 The anniversary acknowledgement was very nice. I am traveling with a married couple who are celebrating their 25th anniversary. We arrive at the Pier 66 next Saturday, Oct 27. I searched for an email contact on the hotel website but couldnt find it. Would you mind messaging me with the info? I would like to surprise them with something like that when they arrive if possible.(and of course we are in separate rooms! :)) Haha! No problem! Actually, if you Google 'Glenn Spanier Hyatt Pier 66,' you'll find his email address in the details of one of the search results. I think it's the second result. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BillOh Posted October 16, 2012 #73 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Thanks, I'll look at the tower option. Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #74 Share Posted October 16, 2012 We checked out the Water Taxi website and noticed that the next taxi was going to arrive within the next half hour. What I love about the Hyatt is that the hotel's dock is actually one of the water taxi stops. It's stop #6. So we took the 10 minute or so walk to the stop. The Hyatt's property is huge! It was cool to see all the yachts and boats in the marina. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Faith Posted October 16, 2012 Author #75 Share Posted October 16, 2012 We boarded the Water Taxi and actually didn't stay on it that long. We stopped at the Hilton Marina (and could see the Oasis in the distance- see the 4th photo below), then got off at the 15th Street Fisheries, where we planned to have dinner. We ate in the dockside area since we didn't feel like dressing up. I loved the friendliness of the crew, and the fact that they gave a commentary on each stop, as well as the story behind various yachts and homes we passed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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