"LIVE" From The Brilliance of the Seas with Trainman-2 & Judith

[slk230red]

Home Safe & Sound!

 

Lots to do to get reorganized...

 

I will upload more photos tonight or tomorrow morning.

 

Hi Jim, just returned yesterday from 19 nights on the Allure and Azamara Quest. Met some folks on the Quest that enjoy reading your "Live Threads". It appears that you have a following out there.:D

 

See you on CFOT.

[Yorkvillain]

Jim, did you not have any Trainman breakfast specials on this cruise?

[Lionesss]

Really enjoyed following your posts.

 

Thank you

 

Sea Ya

[riclop]

So then we went to Hooters for a Diet Coke and I made friends with two cute young girls.

 

They were taking photos of each other so I offered to take some of them together.

 

They were really nice girls, friendly, and spoke excellent English.

 

 

While the cat is away the mice will play.:D

[tigger-ttfn]

Love your LIVE POST. Will miss them since you are leaving RCC due to smoking policy. Hope you and Judith are successfull in stopping the smoking habit. Would love to be on RCC with you one day.

[redlobster]

Thank you one more time for setting time aside during your travels and upon return to your farm and inviting us all for a look at your trip.

[Bette And Bill]

Judith and I are both disappointed with the ship's TV selections.

 

There is no "Bridge Channel" which on other RCI ships rotates between a bridge cam and map views of the Caribbean showing the ships course and current location and weather radar.

 

There is no FOX News

 

CNN seems to be more "talk programs" than headline news

 

Not sure if you found the Bridge Channel (I have not made it to the end of your review yet) - it was Channel 40 and the bridge cam was on 41. Agree with you on the television selections.

[Trainman-2]

We did find the Bridge Channel, the channel listing, and Bridge Cam thanks to several of you posting it here.

 

Overall, considering that we are not big TV watchers while cruising, we were disappointed on the TV offerings.

 

It seemed like the same movies were showing over and over and then would be shown on the Big Screen up on the Pool Deck.

 

We all would head to the Starboard side Smoking Area on the pool deck after dinner every night. A movie was usually showing on the Big Screen TV and we never saw more than 11 people watching.

 

 

I must comment that I was really surprised at how easy it was to see the giant big screen, even when bright sunlight was shining directly on it. It worked great!

[Trainman-2]

Love your LIVE POST. Will miss them since you are leaving RCC due to smoking policy. Hope you and Judith are successfull in stopping the smoking habit. Would love to be on RCC with you one day.

 

 

We will cruise on RCI again as non-smokers!

 

But until then, we can save enough money not cruising to have a nice barn erected in our back yard for our tractor and my model trains.

 

 

Our Next Cruise Will Be:

 

Allure of the Seas

Western Caribbean

11 January 2015

[Trainman-2]

I took a bunch of photos coming back into Tampa but none of them turned out due to the darkness and the movement of the ship.

 

I got this one of the sunrise across the channel from the ship as it was docking.

 

 

And this one of the "All Girl" instrumental musical group. WOW! They were fantastic. We could step out of our cabin and hear their music coming faintly down the hall from the Centrum and as we walked toward the elevator lobby, it became clearer and better.

 

[Trainman-2]

I want to scan and post a few things I brought back with me and that will probably be tomorrow morning.

 

 

We did hear a lot of "rumblings" from the crew about the change from 6 month to 8 month contracts. Many of them feel that is too long away from their families.

[Mystaken]

I want to scan and post a few things I brought back with me and that will probably be tomorrow morning.

 

 

We did hear a lot of "rumblings" from the crew about the change from 6 month to 8 month contracts. Many of them feel that is too long away from their families.

 

Jim, I had the feeling that many crew members were unhappy, now you have explained why!

 

I went to La Choza for the first time, at your suggestion, but I was there for breakfast. Loved the migas! It's right around the corner from La Mission, my usual Cozumel restaurant. Now I know how to find it on my own! Great place!

[psupa]

No "PC-ness in the Trainman Family! We don't do Winter Holidays! We still do Christmas Holidays!

 

 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

 

Merry Christmas to you both.

[Trainman-2]

I was able to get hold of copies of four of the dinner menus from the MDR and here they are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trainman-2]

On our B-2-B, 28 night, double Panama Canal Cruse just over a year ago, Judith and i ate in the MDR the first two weeks. We had the best ever group of table mates and every dinner, although long, was fun.

 

The second two week leg of the cruise we had great dinner partners again but there was no spark among us so we tried the Windjammer for dinner one night.

 

And we liked dinner in the Windjammer, especially when we scheduled our arrival with the opening so everything was fresh and hot.

 

So we have sort of moved from the MDR to the Windjammer and the Specialty restaurants. on this cruise, we never went to the MDR. Not once! We did do Chops and Giovanni's Table.

 

 

So from now on, we will sign up for My Time Dining, pre-pay our gratuities, and probably eat exclusively in the Specialty Restaurants or the Windjammer.

 

It is important to pre-pay the gratuities because they are shared by all of the waiters and assistants in the MDR and the Windjammer. And we can always tip extra for outstanding service.

[FLACRUISER99]

On our B-2-B, 28 night, double Panama Canal Cruse just over a year ago, Judith and i ate in the MDR the first two weeks. We had the best ever group of table mates and every dinner, although long, was fun.

 

The second two week leg of the cruise we had great dinner partners again but there was no spark among us so we tried the Windjammer for dinner one night.

 

And we liked dinner in the Windjammer, especially when we scheduled our arrival with the opening so everything was fresh and hot.

 

So we have sort of moved from the MDR to the Windjammer and the Specialty restaurants. on this cruise, we never went to the MDR. Not once! We did do Chops and Giovanni's Table.

 

 

So from now on, we will sign up for My Time Dining, pre-pay our gratuities, and probably eat exclusively in the Specialty Restaurants or the Windjammer.

 

It is important to pre-pay the gratuities because they are shared by all of the waiters and assistants in the MDR and the Windjammer. And we can always tip extra for outstanding service.

No need to pre pay as RCI will charge your Seapass daily for gratuities.

[AnDeNo.UK]

No need to pre pay as RCI will charge your Seapass daily for gratuities.

 

 

I thought you did have to pre-pay if you are doing MTD. :confused:

[negc]

No need to pre pay as RCI will charge your Seapass daily for gratuities.

If you select MTD rather than traditional dining, it is still necessary to prepay the gratuities, To my mind, it is just one less thing to think about.

[ahecht]

We will cruise on RCI again as non-smokers!

 

But until then, we can save enough money not cruising to have a nice barn erected in our back yard for our tractor and my model trains.

 

 

Our Next Cruise Will Be:

 

Allure of the Seas

Western Caribbean

11 January 2015

 

That's great news!

[FLACRUISER99]

I thought you did have to pre-pay if you are doing MTD. :confused:

 

If you select MTD rather than traditional dining, it is still necessary to prepay the gratuities, To my mind, it is just one less thing to think about.

My point wad that if your not going to eat in the Dining room at all dont sign up for MTD. I agree I was unclear.

[FLACRUISER99]

We will cruise on RCI again as non-smokers!

 

But until then, we can save enough money not cruising to have a nice barn erected in our back yard for our tractor and my model trains.

 

 

Our Next Cruise Will Be:

 

Allure of the Seas

Western Caribbean

11 January 2015

Did your balcony have this sign?

[justforkicks]

Merry Christmas to you and Judith!

[Trainman-2]

Did your balcony have this sign?

 

NO it did not!

 

What ship was that sign on?

[pspercy]

Here's Brilliance in Cozumel last week:

 

 

and this is where everyone else came from that day:D

 

 

There was also an MSC ship but not sure where it docked.

Edited December 23, 2013 by pspercy

[Trainman-2]

My point wad that if your not going to eat in the Dining room at all dont sign up for MTD. I agree I was unclear.

 

Maybe I am wrong but my understanding is that you have to sign up for either Early, Late, or My Time dining.

 

By signing up for MTD, we are assured that the waiters, assistant waiters, and head waiters get their gratuities from us. They do their jobs well and depend on all of us paying the gratuities.

 

The gratuities are shared by the entire wait staff, in the MDR, the Windjammer, and all of the other free food venues. The Specialty Restaurants who charge extra.