0ASIS of the Seas Dec. 7-14 blog and review

[EmpressofPurple]

(Wow, I've been enjoying MegaCruiser's comprehensive review of the Oasis... obviously, this report is far less ambitious and far more subjective than that one! I'm so impressed with MegaCruiser's photographs and descriptions and posting all of the paperwork... this is already taking hours even without all that!! Congrats.)

 

Anyway, back to the cruise! We're still on day one.

 

We met for MTD in the MDR with some of the gang at 5:50. I don’t have any notes on service, but I do have a list of what I ate: Kiwi/pineapple/strawberry appetizer; Smoked fish with shrimp appetizer; Coconut seafood soup; Seafood pasta; and a lovely mango pudding for dessert (so good I ordered a second one!) – I also had a cheese roll and a savory bite from the bread basket, and a REGULAR coffee after dinner (so I wouldn’t pass out in a food coma in the after-dinner show!!)

 

Seafood Pasta

 

Mmmmango pudding

 

We wandered the Promenade after dinner, checking out the Christmas decorations (and lone leftover Hanukah banner), the special only-on-Oasis venues (or at least, originally-on-Oasis venues) such as the Cupcake Cupboard, On-Air Lounge, Starbucks, etc. – plus all the other favorite RCI shops on board, Sorrentos, the Promenade Café, etc., etc. (Oops I posted those photos already!)

 

MerionMom had been our entertainment organizer, booking all of our shows as soon as they became available, and we had Hairspray scheduled for 8:45pm that night. We went into the Opal Theatre at 8:30 to get good seats (having our seapasses scanned for reserved entry to the show), and enjoyed a truly delightful performance.

 

I asked MM if she saw the show every time she was onboard (she’s been on the Oasis several times) and she said yes – and that this was the weakest of all the casts she had seen!! (And it was terrific, believe me – this from a NYC resident who attends Broadway shows regularly – those other casts must have been spectacular!!)

 

(This is the only photo I have from inside the theatre; its of the two young ladies in our party, dressed up for our first night onboard and looking lovely.)

 

I decided to stay on in the theatre after Hairspray for the 10:45 showing of Man of Steel in 3D. Good thing I had that coffee after dinner… in fact, I stopped by the Promenade Café for another cup, and picked up a Toffee and a Coconut Ranger cookie while I was there. I don’t know what a Ranger is, but it is delicious!! I fell into bed by 1am, and thus ended my first day onboard.

[EmpressofPurple]

They provide a lot of informational paperwork on your first day: a huge, multi-page Cruise Compass to cover all of the entertainment and dining options onboard the Oasis, with separate pages for daytime and evening activities… a “Cruise Planner” with highlights for each day and a space to write in “my schedule for today”… a “boarding day” guide (separate from the day 1 Cruise Compass)… plus I picked up the Vitality Fitness Schedule and Spa Price List on the tour.

 

In reviewing that first day Cruise Compass, I missed a lot of things which I hade marked, including things which conflicted with our Hairspray reservation: Welcome Aboard Trivia at 8pm in the Schooner Bar (at the same time as the Fountain Show in the Aqua Theatre), Piano Bar Music at 9:15 in the Schooner Bar and Jazz in Jazz on 4 at 9:30 (I never got to do either of those in seven days on board!!) –-

 

-- and there were dozens and dozens of other entertainment options I hadn’t even marked: Piano Melodies in the Viking Crown Lounge, Outdoor Movie Theatre shows, Frozen in Time Ice show (we had reservations on another night), Latin Melodies in Boleros, Live Dance Music in Dazzles (I heard this band on 70s night and they were amazing!), Dreamworks family meet & greet with Fiona in the Promenade, Pub Entertainment in the Globe & Atlas Pub, Casino activities, Blaze nightclub, sports court activities, plus of course the pools, shops, bars, etc., etc… there truly is no way to “do it all” on Oasis!

[EmpressofPurple]

DAY #2 – SUNDAY, December 8, 2013 – At Sea

 

(Yep, 3 pages in, and we’ve just covered day one. Don’t say I didn ‘t warn ya! My reviews are really only for those who enjoy a vicarious minute-by-minute cruise experience, often one quite different from their own cruise choices. I LOVE reading other people’s similar recountings of their cruises; I see so many different aspects and opportunities in cruising that way!)

 

As per usual when I’m on a Royal Caribbean cruise, I attended the 7am (free) stretch class and the 7:30 (free) abs class – preceded by 8 minutes on the treadmill, completing 1K at a 5% incline. Both classes were led by Sam (who had given us our gym tour) – a fairly challenging stretch class and, as always, killer abs.

 

Ouch! No wonder by the third day I’m often the only one in these early morning classes (even on the massive Oasis, there were fewer than a dozen people in them. I simply don’t understand why the cruise ships don’t offer “intro” fitness classes to suit their demographics… as well as more demanding classes for those who enjoy a hard workout).

 

Here are some morning photos in the fitness center:

 

Henry said good morning on my way to work out

 

Welcome to the gym!

 

Entrance to the spa/fitness center/vitality cafe area

 

Early-morning exercisers at sea

 

Cool view into the gym through a round window

 

Sparse attendance at the early morning stretch class

 

More gym pix in next post...

[EmpressofPurple]

Inspiring images on the way into the gym

 

 

[EmpressofPurple]

After the stretch and abs classes, I took a shower and called our group’s two young(er) members, Marianne and Rebecca, to meet for breakfast at Johnny Rockets. (I had wanted to do this on my Explorer cruise last year, when I learned that the free breakfast at Johnny Rockets was only on Oasis class ships. Here’s hoping they expand that offering!)

 

It was typical Denny's-type diner fare, but tasty (however, it was outshined by the Solarium Café and Wipeout Café breakfast offerings we had the next few days, and we never went back to JRs). I had two eggs over easy, sausage, potatoes and English muffin; Marianne had an omelette, Becca "The Works" – potatoes with peppers, onion, cheese and bacon (notice no eggs), and we shared an order of pancakes, plus we each had orange juice and coffee. Ah, if only RCI carried grapefruit juice!

 

Breakfast with the young ladies

 

Yes, the waiters dance at breakfast, too!

 

Other shots from the Boardwalk: The beautiful carousel

 

Zoltar, straight from the (wonderful) movie, "Big"

[EmpressofPurple]

Then it was time for 10:00am Trivia in the Schooner bar, followed by the 10:45 Welcome Back C&A party in the Aqua Theatre… and then rushing off for the CC Meet & Mingle at 11:15 in Dazzles!

 

On the way to the Welcome Back Party, I stopped to pose with Shrek!

 

Greetings from the Ship Staff and Officers (Yeah, Jimmy Rhodes!)

 

I enjoyed my usual alcohol-free fruit punch at these events.

 

Other views on the Boardwalk: The Massive Rock-Climbing Wall

 

Bette and Bill enjoying a drink before we headed down to the M&M:

 

Costume Characters by the Seafood Shack:

 

RCI handed out a few prizes at the M&M (which, as usual, went to people who were barely or even not at all active on the roll call), and then we had an interminable gift exchange. I was hoping for one of Bette’s beautiful embroidered handmade bags (Bette was one of the real organizers on the roll call, an experienced and friendly cruiser) – but I still lucked out with a burlap bag containing a mix of “beer chili” (which I recently made for my kids, and they loved it; while I don’t drink, I do cook with alcohol, since it burns off, and adds to the flavor).

[EmpressofPurple]

It was WAY too windy to zipline (which Marianne, Rebecca and I had been planning to do), and I was too late to join my companions for lunch in the MDR after the extended gift exchange, so I went to the Promenade Café for some sandwiches (alas, they don’t serve fresh fruit there on the Oasis, as they do in the Prom Café on the Explorer and other ships).

 

There, I watched the 12:30 pm Rockin’ Rhythm Nation Parade. I was so impressed at the organization, not only bringing out all the groups and characters, but cleaning up afterwards: there were cleaners with vacuums on their backs, sweeping up all the confetti on the floor! Amazing.

 

Photos from the parade:

 

Aerialist:

 

Blurry Dancer:

 

CD Jimmy Rhodes rides in on the Rising (or in this case, Lowering) Tide Bar

 

Beautiful Banners

 

After the parade, I had second lunch (yes, Hobbit, remember) - Sorrento's Pizza!

 

 

Here's the pizza menu -- and the server trying to get out of my photo!

[EmpressofPurple]

Yoo hoo ... is there anybody out there?

 

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[ncurcio]

Yoo hoo ... is there anybody out there?

 

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I am! Did you do the Prohibition Party by chance?

[EmpressofPurple]

Interestingly, while I live seeing other people's photo reviews, in a way I prefer mine as text only... not to mention the about of time it takes to select and post photos (and I'm not even working at it the way others do, post-processing they photos, etc.)....

 

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[EmpressofPurple]

Alas no, while the dress-up aspect looked like fun, as a non-drinker the entry fee is a bit steep...

 

More to come about onboard and onshore activities... can't believe I've only posted one day so far off this week long Odyssey

 

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[Babyrocko1908]

Yoo hoo ... is there anybody out there?

 

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I'm here too. Please continue with your review. It's great!!

[TheBuick]

This is a most excellent review, don't you dare stop... :eek:

[rwright261]

I'm loving it too... Can't wait to read more! :)

[EmpressofPurple]

Thanks all, I promise to get back to it tonight...

 

First time I've added photos to a review, it's challenging!!

 

I usually keep a day-to-day journal, so that's easy to update and transfer... look forward to stories of flowrider (!) zipline (!!) ice skating (!!!) and great port tours, too.

 

:)

[EmpressofPurple]

Day 2 continues:

 

I shopped in the logo shop for some souvenirs, using the Diamond discount. (FYI: as many have reported, there are no coupon books now… but do NOT expect to have these discounts “automatically applied” as promised: in several cases, including the photo shop, logo shop, etc., the regular price rang up and I had to ask to have the discount applied. You should receive a list of your discounts on the back of your Diamond (or whatever C&A Tier) welcome letter, or you can go to Guest Services and ask for a printout – and then be sure to ask the servers or salespeople to apply them as appropriate.)

 

Then I relaxed in the cabin until it was time for Progressive Trivia at 2pm. (I LOVED our cabin location: right near the gym, and the Diamond Club, and down the hall from the Schooner Bar and the Boardwalk – just perfect for me!) – our traveling group was too large (they only allowed groups of 6 max) so Roberta and I joined another couple to play the first day – although we never saw them again at progressive trivia, they helped us out that day.

 

After Trivia, I hung out by the pool and hot tubs, going for a swim – and seeing other traveling companions by the pool – then I went back to the cabin to shower and change for dinner in the MDR before our Oasis of Dreams reservation that evening. Before dinner, I went to the Diamond happy hour, which was held in Blaze, where I had a cranberry-orange juice spritzer and hors d’oeuvres including chicken, shrimp, pineapple, melon with prosciutto, cheese and grapes.

 

Again, no notes about service, timing, etc. , but I do have a record of what I ordered from the listed “Saffron” menu in the MDR: 2 appetizers (scallops in butter sauce, shrimp cocktail), 2 entrees (roast duck, filet of beef), 3 desserts (chocolate souffle, lemon meringue, cheesecake) plus a cheese roll and savory bite from the breadbasket, and coffee to finish. (And you wondered why I had to “work out” in advance to prepare for the eating portion of the cruise!!!)

 

Scallops (prepared the way they used to do the escargots)

 

Shaved cantaloupe and honeydew (which I didn't order because these melons seem to be available at every meal and every restaurant)

 

Filet of beef

 

Roast Duck

 

Saffron Menu

 

Beautiful 3-story dining room chandelier

 

It was the first formal night, and I believe I wore the smaller of my two outfits (realizing that by the second formal night it probably wouldn’t fit anymore!!) – and it was quite a squeeze closing the zipper on my skirt… I had to ask my roommate to help me get it on, and you can believe I changed right after dinner and before we headed to the Aqua Theater for tonight’s reserved show.

[EmpressofPurple]

The start of Oasis of Dreams was very exciting… but alas, it was canceled due to ocean conditions, making it dangerous for the cast to perform these challenging stunts. It was re-scheduled for a daytime show… apparently not as dramatic as seeing it lit up against a night sky… but in any event, as you will hear, the rescheduled show was later canceled for the same reason… so I guess I will have to go on the Oasis again so I can see this show!

 

Logo on the big screen

 

Dramatic nighttime aqua show

 

Amazing aqua dancers

 

 

Misspelled poster on the Boardwalk

 

First towel animal!

 

 

After the show, I watched TV for a while (no notes on what) and then went to bed. Again, I had marked several items on the Compass which I never did: 8am Yoga on the helipad (a pay class – which I was only going to do because the Helipad is not accessible to guests on the Oasis as it is on other ships… but I discovered I would be able to go to a C&A party there later, so I “protested” the costly paid fitness classes and did not take this)… Noon, complimentary ladies pamper hour in the spa…. 3pm explorer academy: napkin artistry… 5pm vitality evening stretch… 8pm dreamworks family meet & greet with kung fu panda and po… the same list of music shows as the night before… amazing I can list nearly as much that I did NOT do as what I did do!!

[EmpressofPurple]

DAY #3 – MONDAY, December 9, 2013 – Labadee, Haiti, 9am-4pm

 

Up at 6:30am for stretch & conditioning classes with Sam again (plus another 1K on the treadmill before class)… conditioning class was the usual multi-station mini-boot camp: ball crunches, jumping jacks, “kettlebells” using hand weights, lunges with hand weights, pushups and… rats, I can’t remember the last one (oh, how I hate reconstructing my trip a week later!! But there was no time to keep a daily journal, so busy on board and in port every day).

 

After class I went back to my cabin to dress for the coming beach day in Labadee, and I called Becca and Marianne to join me for breakfast in the Solarium Bistro. I had a bagel with cream cheese and lox, plus red onion and capers… a fruit plate with melon, pineapple, strawberries and grapes… plus scrambled eggs, grilled zucchini, tomato and turkey sausage… (guess I had second breakfast and first breakfast at the same time)… and following my principle of having dessert at all three meals onboard a ship, I finished with a mango yogurt parfait topped with a slice of real mango… plus orange juice and coffee.

 

I went back to the cabin to get my beach bag for the day on Labadee: hat, pareo, beach towel, sunscreen, water bottle. I met Carol and the rest of the crew on the pier, and some of us walked, some took the tram to Barefoot Beach. This is the EXCLUSIVE cabana beach, accessible ONLY to suite guests and Pinnacle members… and, I guess, those frequent cruisers with connections at RCI, who managed to book the first cabana up the hill for our group!

 

(FYI, on my first trip to Labadee, this beach was open to all, and was my daughter's and my favorite beach: great views of the ship and green Haitian mountains, lovely soft sand, etc. On our last trip we were so disappointed to see it closed off for the upper tier cruisers. It was nice to get to visit it once more as a cabana guest… we did all share the cost, although we wouldn’t even have been able to book it without advance help from one of our group members.)

 

Little did I know that this area provided (uncarded) beach towels, or I wouldn’t have bothered to have checked one out on my seapass card the day before (yes, you still had to check out towels in December; SO GLAD they have gotten rid of that ridiculous rule!). There was also a cooler with ice and four bottles of Evian, 2 lounges and a cushioned seating area, and a pile of floatie mats. We had the only female cabana attendant, Marie, who brought mats and filled drink orders (though some in our group had also brought wine and champagne for the cooler).

 

On the Labadee pier with beautiful Oasis in the background... and gorgeous green Haiti beyond

 

Scenes of Labadee

 

 

 

Our Cabana -- and attendant!

[EmpressofPurple]

I dropped my bag, grabbed a floatie mat, slathered on the sunscreen, and headed out to my favorite stretch of beach. I love Labadee, so green and lush and beautiful. After floating for over an hour, I went back to the cabana, wrapped up in a pareo to go to lunch… at the “enhanced” dining area. (There has been a lot of controversy over the fact that the equally expensive cabanas on next-door Nellie’s beach does not entitle them to the enhanced lunch).

 

There was a single station and a long, slow line – but indeed, food was much better than what I had experienced in the past on Labadee. (In fact, I often did the Yoga on the beach, then returned to the ship to eat lunch and change, returning for an afternoon on the beach, because I preferred to eat in the Windjammer to that spread… although admittedly I was usually late to the beach lunch, which is only open from 12-1:30, and got the dried/burnt endlings and leavings of the standard hamburgers, hot dogs, peas and rice, buns, salad, fruit, cookies, etc.).

 

At any rate, the “enhanced” lunch was lovely: burger buns, rolls and bread… fresh Caesar salad and Greek salad … lettuce and tomato… sour cream and guacamole… corn on the cob, baked potatoes, peas and rice… jerked chicken, burgers, hot dogs, lunch steaks and shrimp on skewers. Plus fresh fruit (the usual melon and pineapple… oh, how I miss Princess’s exotic tropical fruits, mango, papaya and more…) cookies, brownies and cakes.

 

I ate some of everything (except the hot dog) and took 2 shrimp skewers (apparently the long line had been caused by people taking 5-10 shrimp skewers and holding up the line waiting for more). Iced tea, fruit punch and water were also available. We took a big table to enjoy lunch together.

 

Afterwards, I walked back to the cabana to get my wallet, and off to the shopping area and folkloric show. We walked over, and arrived just in time for the show: the same dancers, acrobats and fire dancer/MC that I had seen on my last trip to Labadee. The main performer encourages audience participation by having them put out fiery skewers in his mouth (the MC’s mouth, not the volunteer’s!) and copying dance moves.

 

One of our group members is extremely sensitive to chemical odors (she couldn’t sleep on the ship mattress because of off-gassing from the material… indeed, she slept on the balcony most nights… more on that later!) – and she couldn’t tolerate the smell of the accelerant used by the performer to light the torches that he used in his routine. Fortunately, she could move upwind and thus still enjoy the performance.

 

Once the show was over (and we had tipped the performers generously) we wandered into the shopping area. For the first time, I went out of the covered market and into the open-area shopping huts that wandered up and down over the hillsides… and now I understand all the posts on CC about the aggressive vendors. “Come see my art, my talent, what I made,” pressing you with jewelry, etc. I just walked from stall to stall, smiling and saying “no, thank you,” over and over again. So interesting to compare sales tactics and approaches with our later stops in Falmouth, Jamaica and Cozumel, Mexico.

 

I purchased a purple heart-shaped stone and had it inscribed with “Labadee” for 3 dollars. I also purchased a lovely caftan for another group member who didn’t want to leave the cabana ($20).

 

Folkloric Dancers

 

Fire Eater / MC

 

Audience Participation

 

 

Gymnasts jumping through hoops

 

[EmpressofPurple]

By the time I got back to the cabana, the rest of the group was getting ready to leave and return to the ship. (How nice that we can wander back at our own schedule now, rather than have to wait for a tender!) Marianne and I scavenged the beach for floatie mats, since ours had already been removed, and floated until 3:30pm (all-aboard was 4:30). Our cabana attendant tried to ask us for an additional tip, but I was sure that our group organizer had handled that appropriately, so we didn’t give her any more (and indeed, when we checked once onboard, the tip had been made on behalf of the whole group, and divided amongst us along with the cabana cost).

 

We then walked back to the ship… no, actually we received a ride in a small car… and when we tried to make room to pick up a father with young children, we were told by the driver, no, he was only to pick up wristbands from the gold beach. Wow, I had never received the “special treatment” before. It was nice, but it felt weird not to be able to offer a ride to someone with young children in tow. We walked through the security area and out onto the pier and took pictures. Marianne lost her hat in the wind (it blew off the pier) but she wasn’t unhappy, because she didn’t like that hat! Now she had an excuse to buy a new one at a sale onboard.

 

Back onboard, showered and changed and went up to Deck 7 to the C&A upper-tier sailaway party on the helipad! I brought a cappuccino with me (this was my favorite perk from the diamond club, I had cappuccinos all day long) and received a fruit punch at the event; others had champagne. This was a fun event, with the cruise director, officers (plus the captain waving from the bridge above) and King Julian from Madagascar! We had a beautiful sailaway from Labadee, with lots of great pictures on the helipad “H”.

 

(Horrifyingly, this is wear my handwritten journal of the cruise ends… I will have to reconstruct the rest of it from the Compass, my photos, my notes of expenditures, and my food journal… over two months later!!! Yikes! So sorry, but there obviously will not be the same level of detail as there was in the first part of this report… although I’m sure many of you are relieved at this news!!!)

 

After the party, we enjoyed the $10 sale on the Promenade (where I bought a lovely purple shrug and a multi-colored scarf), and the 5:30 Progressive Trivia in the Schooner Bar (our two separate teams are still in the running for the final prize). The Trivia leader, trying to be “different” assigned “homeworks” to the teams… so in addition to answering trivia questions, the teams had to fulfill tasks, such as taking a video with a CD staff member doing the queen’s wave in the Rising Tide Bar… taking a video with a deck staff member fishing in a pool on the pool deck… taking a photo pretending to drink from the largest wine bottle on the ship… taking a video with someone (not a staff member) from Jamaica saying “Yah mon”… meeting all of the CD staff and guessing their ages (and NOT asking them how old they were)… yikes!

 

Dinner in the MDR at 6:30: Chilled strawberry bisque… Caprese Salad.. Tiger Shrimp… Lasagne (with beef and cream!)… and Sticky Bread Pudding for Dessert. I bought a matching pareo and bag from one of our group members (who had purchased 10 of them as gifts in a big “sidewalk sale” in the promenade!) – lovely tiger print, although the bag’s zipper broke when I first used it, alas.

 

We had reservations for the Comedy Show at 10:30; two comics, both very funny. So sorry I don’t have any more notes about the show!!!

What did I do in between dinner and the show? Casino? Wandering the ship? Music? I have no idea!!!

 

(Oh, now I’m really upset… I had such a great cruise, and I really wanted to report on it in detail… including shore excursions, shows, meals and more… now it’s just going to be note form… hopefully having PHOTOS for the first time will make up for the lack of detail in the descriptions…)

 

Aha! Today was the day for the midweek laundry bag… now $30, with a $10-off Diamond coupon makes it $20… stuff it with as many socks, underwear, tshirts, shorts and sleepwear as you can… I had been asking my cabin steward for it, and having cruised many times I know this comes back the next day… but on Tuesday, I was told that there was a problem with the machines, and we wouldn’t be getting the bag back until Wednesday.

 

FYI, when I called guest services to request that they comp the service since the bag was returned a day late and I had to purchase clothes in Jamaica so I would have something to wear, I was told no, the bag was never returned the next day, it always took two days, and I was given no compensation and treated rudely by the laundry supervisor to boot!

 

I was shocked. I heard from other passengers who had some slight problem and were showered with gifts, strawberries, bottles of wine, etc. – I have a (relatively) serious issue, that actually cost me money (I had packed VERY carefully to avoid extra baggage charges, based on the usual midweek laundry bag which I had experienced A DOZEN times comes back within 24 hours!!) – and I get NOTHING! Oasis customer service on this issue: zero.

 

I only JUST bothered to follow up with a complaint letter to RCI, because it was such a small matter – and indeed, I had forgotten about it until I was writing up this cruise report – but it really is out of character for their customer service not to respond to a complaint like this from a loyal customer, who is clearly familiar with operational procedure… and even if it was different on the Oasis, then my cabin attendant should have told me the bag would not be returned for TWO days; instead, she assured me I would have my clothes back the next day, and explained that they were late “because there was a problem with the machines” – not because that is their regular procedure.

 

(So I thought I had no more pictures today... but fortunately, one of the group shared her photos online, and there are several of me from the helipad sailaway -- enjoy!)

 

With fabulous CD Jimmy Rhodes

 

Enjoying sailaway sunset with my ever-present cappucino

 

Posing on the Helipad "H" with the two young ladies

 

Dancing with King Julien!!

 

 

Last of the sun

[EmpressofPurple]

DAY #4 – TUESDAY – December 10, 2013 – Falmouth, Jamaica – 10:30am-6:30pm

Pretty sure I attended the 7am stretch and 7:30am abs class (with a new trainer today)…

 

...had breakfast from the Diamond Club at 9am (Bagel – half with cream cheese and lox, half with butter and blackberry jam; banana; prosciutto w/melon, pineapple; “breakfast dessert” of coffee and pastry…

 

...took another plate back to cabin with a croissant, ham, salami, swiss & cheddar cheese, grapes and an apple, which I put in the fridge for an afternoon snack)…

 

...went to 10am Morning Trivia in Schooner Bar (I have a note in the Compass that we won umbrellas, pens and highlighters!)…

 

Oooh, brought my diamond breakfast out on my balcony!!

 

We met on the pier to attend the (privately booked $45pp plus tips) Falmouth Culinary Tour, a tasting tour which visited several food vendors in Falmouth. Although this was advertised as a “tasting” tour (I was expecting bites of food at each location) we had full servings of many different delicious types of food!

 

Oasis towering over the tiny two-story buildings at the Falmouth Port

 

Fun photo op

 

Welcoming music

 

Tour buses ready to go on the road (we were on a walking tour, no bus for us)

 

Groups meeting out of the hot Jamaican sun

[EmpressofPurple]

Our first stop was within the protected port area, a fruit vendor, where we had a piece of sugar cane, plus fresh papaya, watermelon, and pineapple.

 

The pretty new port area

 

Our terrific tour guide (and merionmom!)

 

Fruit vendor in the port area

 

How to cut sugar cane

 

How to open a green coconut

 

We EACH had this serving of fruit! I thought on a "tasting" tour that we'd all have to share it, but no, one container per person. Nice! Mango, papaya, watermelon and sugar cane, all fresh and delicious.

[EmpressofPurple]

Then we headed out into the rough-and-tumble neighborhood outside the port area. We heard about the history of the area, and saw an example of an old-style market.

 

Heading outside the port area

 

 

 

Old-style store and farm produce

 

[EmpressofPurple]

Our first stop was down a small alley, at a street cart for roasted breadfruit, yam, and salted mackerel with onion and pepper (served in a gourd bowl, by a man named “Yammy”). At a nearby cart, we had a refreshing drink of fresh coconut water.

 

You can see Oasis towering beyond the end of the alley

 

Yammy's cart

 

Mmm, breadfruit, yam, salted mackerel with onion and pepper in gourd bowl

 

Coconut juice (and fruit) cart

 

Historic building

[EmpressofPurple]

Then we walked for a while, and at a city center with a pretty fountain and some historic plaques, we went into a “bakery” for meat patties – again, we did not share the meat patty between all of us, we EACH had a meat patty!

 

Walking toward the town center

 

Lovely fountain

 

Historic plaque

 

Spicy Nice Bakery

 

Our guides ordering for the group

 

We each got a whole beef patty! Best "tasting" tour ever!!