Pirate’s in PARADISE! Jan 13-18, 2020 Review

[pirate4me2]

Hello, CC family!

 

I am back from my short 5 day adventure aboard Carnival Paradise, and my post-cruise depression has set in. Time for another review!

 

Joining me on this adventure was my mother, it seems that we now have a yearly tradition of doing a cruise together for some mom/daughter bonding. We had actually booked on the Sunrise for in April, but several months ago we heard about a cruise for Stolen Horse International/Ladies Horse Society, and since we are horse owners we decided to go with the group. I will admit, I was hesitant to book on the Paradise…I had never sailed on a Fantasy class vessel, how would I feel about it after sailing newer ships like Vista, Horizon, and Breeze? I love the Spirit class ships, but I was a bit turned off on the idea of Fantasy class for some reason. However, I really wanted to join the group of horse people, so I sucked it up and booked. Let’s see how it turned out…

 

Mom and I set out on our drive to Tampa at 6:00 on Sunday the 12^th, and we finally arrived at our hotel (Courtyard by Mariott on Cypress Street) at 3:53. I had booked us here since they had a park & cruise package that included the room, parking for up to 14 days, and a shuttle to and from the port. The lobby looked good, and the front desk staff were friendly, but our room left some to be desired…it was very, very dated. The couch was scary, neither Mom nor I would sit on it or set our stuff on it. The bed however was WONDERFUL, I slept like a rock. The shower also got nice and warm, and the location of the hotel was a huge plus…we were within walking distance (1/4 mile) to Target! 

 

After throwing our bags in the room we met up with Mom’s friends who had decided to join us on this adventure, and we called an Uber to take us to Bahama Breeze. The driver got lost trying to find us, which had us all a tad worried, but he got us to the restaurant quickly once he found the hotel. The fare was $12, so not bad, and once we got to the restaurant they sat us immediately. I had expected a wait based on how busy the place seemed, so this was a pleasant surprise! The experience only went uphill from there…the food and drinks at this place are FANTASTIC! Our waiter was very friendly and explained drinks and food to us, and we decided to start off with an app of Firecracker Shrimp, which was AMAZING. For our mains Mom and I decided to each order an entrée and split them so we could try each other’s, she went with the salmon tostada (FREAKING AMAZING) and I went with the firecracker shrimp tacos (SOOOOOO DELICIOUS!) which were loaded down with yummyness. One of the friends got a lobster quesadilla, which she said was good, and I forget what the other friend got but it looked yummy. My drink of choice was One Love, which was everyone’s favorite….it was spectacular. If you sail from Tampa, seriously consider trying this place out….it’s worth it! I will be back when we sail from there later this year.

 

After dinner we walked down to the docks at the restaurant just to look around, then called an Uber to take us to Target. The fare was $11.53, and our driver was absolutely hilarious. Right as we got into the car he said, “Anybody like hot sauce? I got a bottle up for grabs!” well, yes sir I DO like hot sauce and was planning on buying a bottle at good ol’ Target since I forgot to bring mine along! It was still fully sealed so I figured no harm in taking it. We laughed and cut up the whole way to the store, and he asked if we needed him to wait while we shopped so he could take us back to our hotel. We informed he we would be hoofing it back since we were so close, so he bid us goodnight and we went on our shopping spree.

 

After buying out the store we headed back to the hotel to call it a night at about 9:00. Tomorrow is CRUISE DAY!!!

 

Salmon Tostada

 

Shrimp tacos

Edited January 22, 2020 by pirate4me2

[pirate4me2]

Cruise day is here, cruise day is here!

 

Now, before we continue, I need to tell you all a little something. My mother is cruise cursed. Seriously. Her first cruise was on the Vista when we got delayed coming home due to hurricane Irma, then her second cruise was on the Horizon when we had flooding back home and there was an earthquake in Mexico while we were there, but it was on the other side of the country thank goodness. Her third cruise we had a HUGE bird fly into the windshield on the way to the cruise port, cracking the windshield pretty good and denting the car, and on her last cruise we had ANOTHER hurricane go thru the port area while we were at sea and I wondered if my poor truck was going to be washed out to sea. See a trend here??? People tell me it’s dangerous to go on vacation with her! I was hoping that this trip would be different, butttt…nope. Mama needs drama.

 

On the weekend before we were to leave for Tampa, Mom made a run to the  recycle center. They always ask for your driver’s license to give you the cash back for the metal, and she gave the clerk hers and he told her she needed to make sure and go get a new one. “Honey, your ID expired in October, didn’t you know that?” OMG MOM….YOU DON’T HAVE A PASSPORT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE TO GIVE THEM TO CRUISE! Her excuse? “How was I supposed to know when it expired? Do you know when YOURS expires? How often do people look to see the expiration date?” Well yes Mom, I DO know when mine expires, I make a point to check it now and then. Who is the adult/parent here??!!

 

So, on Monday Mom went to get her license renewed, and our state now gives you this ugly black and white PAPER temporary driver’s license until they mail you the real deal. I had major doubts that this would be sufficient to get her onboard…I mean, c’mon, it’s PAPER! They assured us it was good enough for TSA, so it should be good enough for the port officials, but I was really wondering if I would be flying solo this cruise. I was fully prepared to toss Mom the keys to red (my truck) and tell her to come back to FL to pick me up after the cruise was over. Ugh. Let’s see how this situation plays out…

 

Mom and I got up at 9:00 and decided to walk to get some breakfast before we headed to the cruise port. We made our way down the street and saw this place called 18 Bagel Co., and we were intrigued so we went in. I got an everything bagel sandwich with egg and cheese and an iced coffee, and y’all….it was flippin’ awesome. The bagel was covered in all that goodness that they put on everything bagels, and the egg was nice and hot, cheese perfectly melty….delish! And the coffee….oh my gosh, don’t get me started on it….that is some of the BEST iced coffee I have ever had! Mom and I devoured our breakfast, then walked back to the hotel. Our shuttle to the port was going to pick us up at 11, and we were all packed up and waiting in the lobby at 10:40. About this time, my nerves began to kick in wondering if Mom was going to get onboard, and I started sweating and getting nauseated. Oh God, please don’t let that bagel and coffee come back up! 

 

The shuttle arrived and we piled in, and I looked over at Mom. She wasn’t looking so good herself, and I kept saying silent prayers that a) we wouldn’t throw up in the nice shuttle driver’s bus, and b) Mom would get onboard. The first prayer was answered, and after wishing us a good, fun-filled vacation the driver sped off, leaving Mom and I on the curb of the port. We grabbed the handles of our bags, figured out where to go for check in, and started that way. It was time for the moment of truth. GULP!    

 

At the top of the escalator, there was the first check in point where they just look to make sure you have the right documents. I breezed thru (thank you, passport!) and waiting on Mom. Wait, Mom, what the fudge are you doing, you’re handing over your EXPIRED license! Don’t tick them off! I felt like I was about to pass out. However, the clerk merely glanced at it and waved her thru. Seriously? That easy?

 

We began walking away and I whispered, “You gave them the expired license!”

 

“I know! I figured if they made a fuss, then I would give them my new temporary one,” she whispered back as we approached the security check point.

 

We breezed thru security (they didn’t even glance at my 2 bottles of wine) and made our way to the Priority check in counter. As we approached I studied the agents, trying to figure out which one looked the nicest. I chose one and walked up….and Mom went to a different one! Mom, what the HECK are you doing? I chose this one because she looks nice, yours doesn’t look as friendly! My bagel and coffee started churning in my belly again, and I focused on deep breathing and trying to hold down my breakfast as I listened to Mom and her agent.

 

“Here’s my ID and birth certificate, I don’t have a passport.”

 

“Oh, you were born in New York. I was too. What part are you from?
 

“Upstate, how about you?”

 

“I am as well! What town?”

 

I was finished checking in so I slid down next to Mom, and she and the agent carried on this conversation the whole time. The agent stamped her boarding pass and smiled. “Have a wonderful cruise. Lunch is being served on Lido deck. Boarding has already started, since you are Priority you can head right that way to get onboard. Have fun!”

 

We began walking to the boarding area, and I started trembling. We were home free! They never checked her DL expiration date, or if they did, they didn’t care! I wanted to cry tears of joy, but I held myself together and we made our way up the gangway and onboard the Paradise.

 

I had friends sailing this week, my “cruise grandma” and “cruise grandpa” that I met on the Vista in 2017.  We hadn’t even realized that we were on this same sailing until a week before, hahaha! They had sent me a message that they were waiting in the atrium at the bar, so I looked for them as we boarded. There’s “Grandma!”
 

 

I said a quick hello to Cruise Grandma and asked her where Cruise Grandpa was. He had gone to drop off carry-ons in their room, and Mom and I decided to do the same with ours. We headed to find our room, and here was where the Paradise first hit me as being different from the newer Carnival ships….I have never stayed in a rom that is BELOW the atrium level! Looking at the deck plans all of the entertainment venues are on UPPER decks, and most of the staterooms are below them. We had to go down one level from the atrium and all the way aft, we had an aft extended view cabin, U226.

 

What can I say about our stateroom…. I love, love, LOVED that our balcony had shade on it. The way the rooms were, the balcony from above us completely covered our balcony so we could sit out there anytime and not roast. Also, we were the lowest aft balcony, so we were the closest to the water I have ever been. The sound was soothing, and we could look for flying fish. Our A/C worked VERY well, it actually froze me and Mom out sometimes! Now the downsides…there just didn’t seem to be as much storage as we have had in previous cabins, especially in the bathroom. We made do though. Also, there was a pole that was RIGHT THERE as you walked in the doorway, and let me just say that it could be kinda dangerous, especially if you had a few too many drinks. Not that I ever do that……bahaha. Why couldn’t they put the pole in the middle of the room so I could at least dance around it, brush up on my skills?

 

Breakfast 

 

Bathroom

 

Wonderful balcony!

Ignore my mess 😂 I love how they have the phone on the wall...it’s not taking up desk space! 

 

U226

See the dangerous pole there on the left??!!

Bathroom again

Edited January 22, 2020 by pirate4me2

[Jamman54]

Wonderful start to your review! Now you understand why we like to cruise on a Fantasy Class ship once in a while. 😀

[Joe817]

Great start Pirate! I'm following!  Did your horse step on you before you left for the cruise? I hope not!  I remember the last time. 

You're going to love that balcony! 👍

[pirate4me2]

After unpacking (we only packed carry-ons), Mom and I hit up Lido for some lunch. We both decided that a Blue Iguana taco salad sounded delicious, so we made our way there. It didn’t disappoint! Cruise Grandma then asked where we were, and we met up with them for a bit. Mom got to meet the people she has heard me talk about, then we decided to wander around the ship.

 

My first impression of the Paradise is that she is VERY WELL maintained and SO CLEAN. Everywhere I looked things seemed to be in working order, with very little rust, and no broken tiles or lights. The handrails in the staircase and the floor tiles were not sticky like on some ships. Also, the décor was not as hideous as some have made the older ships out to sound. Mom and I wandered around until it was time for Muster, and we made our way to our station, the Serenity deck. A worker came out and told us that we actually had to go inside to the Queen Mary lounge, THEN they would bring us out here for the drill. Okie dokie. The drill was a tad longer than some I have experienced recently, but not too bad. 

 

I do not really remember what Mom and I did after the drill, but we made sure to get our butts up to the deck with the whale tail on it in time to pass under the Sunshine Skyway bridge about 6:00. We cleared it by 10 feet, but it sure didn’t look like that much! Anyone that hasn’t sailed from Tampa before, make sure you are up on an upper deck to witness this event, it usually happens about 2 hours after you sail.  

 

Mom and I opted to eat on Lido tonight, since we had missed our 6:00 set dining time. I do not usually do set dining as I like the freedom to eat when I want, but since we had booked with a group we had to do what dining choice the group leader had opted for. I decided to have a deli sandwich and a salad. The sandwich from the deli was absolutely delish, and the salad bar was fresh with lots of yummy choices. I noticed another positive about the Paradise: the Lido buffet was not crowded at all, there were plenty of open tables to choose from, and no lines at the stations!

 

We finished dinner and headed to the Normandie Lounge to watch Gender Showdown at 9. It was cute, and after that we went to the atrium for Leon’s Rock The Promenade party. Leon is a FANTASTIC CD y’all, he is so high energy and FUN. He’s also really sweet if you get the chance to interact with him. I am glad that they are moving him to a bigger ship (get ready, Carnival Magic!) in a few months.

 

After Rock the Promenade we decided to call it a day. The stress of wondering if Mom would make it onboard had taken it’s toll, so we turned in at 11:30.

 

Tomorrow is a fun day at sea!

 

Shrimp taco salad

 

Queen Mary lounge

 

Sailing from the port

 

Our escort

 

Whale tail!

Elevator lobby 

 

Bye!

About to go under the bridge!

Lido at night 

 

Paradise atrium

Edited January 22, 2020 by pirate4me2

[pirate4me2]

A few more random shots from around the ship that first day:

 

 

 

Edited January 22, 2020 by pirate4me2

[pirate4me2]

20 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

Wonderful start to your review! Now you understand why we like to cruise on a Fantasy Class ship once in a while. 😀

 

Hi Jeff, thanks for stopping in. I do understand why people on here like the Fantasy class, it was a great experience!

 

11 minutes ago, Joe817 said:

Great start Pirate! I'm following!  Did your horse step on you before you left for the cruise? I hope not!  I remember the last time. 

You're going to love that balcony! 👍

Hahaha no, no horse accidents this time, thank goodness! 😂

[grima625]

Great start to your review.  Have sailed the Paradise several times, and will be on the Legend this Saturday sailing from Tampa to the Panama Canal.

[May1cruiser]

Great start! Glad you enjoyed the Paradise. We live close to port Tampa and sail her often. For us, the crew makes the cruise more than the ship. We have been fortunate to have a great crew each time we sailed her, so we tend to favorite Paradise. 

 

Please keep sharing!

[pirate4me2]

Grima, Ohhh, let me know how that Canal cruise is...we go in December, I am soooo looking forward to it! 
 

May1, more coming tonight! 

[NCTribeFan]

I was wondering whether your Mom made it onto the ship!  I figured she'd be fine with the expired DL and the temp paper one.

 

I didn't see us go under the bridge.  It's a long ride out and I think I just gave up.  I probably decided I needed another drink! 😁

 

If I retire to the Gulf Coast, I expect to be sailing from Tampa (if the prices are right).  I hadn't sailed from there since my first 2 cruises (Jubilee in 2001 and RCI Empress in 2003).  Plus, MSC is moving Armonia there and I quite like that old, smaller ship (slightly smaller than Fantasy class ships).  And, of course, LOVE the Spirit Class ships.

[4hunters]

Great start to your review.  Looking forward to more!  Thank you for taking the time to share with us.

[Sagittarius traveler]

Your mom is funny with her expired id 😂🤣

 

16 hours ago, pirate4me2 said:

Cruise day is here, cruise day is here!

 

Now, before we continue, I need to tell you all a little something. My mother is cruise cursed. Seriously. Her first cruise was on the Vista when we got delayed coming home due to hurricane Irma, then her second cruise was on the Horizon when we had flooding back home and there was an earthquake in Mexico while we were there, but it was on the other side of the country thank goodness. Her third cruise we had a HUGE bird fly into the windshield on the way to the cruise port, cracking the windshield pretty good and denting the car, and on her last cruise we had ANOTHER hurricane go thru the port area while we were at sea and I wondered if my poor truck was going to be washed out to sea. See a trend here??? People tell me it’s dangerous to go on vacation with her! I was hoping that this trip would be different, butttt…nope. Mama needs drama.

 

On the weekend before we were to leave for Tampa, Mom made a run to the  recycle center. They always ask for your driver’s license to give you the cash back for the metal, and she gave the clerk hers and he told her she needed to make sure and go get a new one. “Honey, your ID expired in October, didn’t you know that?” OMG MOM….YOU DON’T HAVE A PASSPORT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE TO GIVE THEM TO CRUISE! Her excuse? “How was I supposed to know when it expired? Do you know when YOURS expires? How often do people look to see the expiration date?” Well yes Mom, I DO know when mine expires, I make a point to check it now and then. Who is the adult/parent here??!!

 

So, on Monday Mom went to get her license renewed, and our state now gives you this ugly black and white PAPER temporary driver’s license until they mail you the real deal. I had major doubts that this would be sufficient to get her onboard…I mean, c’mon, it’s PAPER! They assured us it was good enough for TSA, so it should be good enough for the port officials, but I was really wondering if I would be flying solo this cruise. I was fully prepared to toss Mom the keys to red (my truck) and tell her to come back to FL to pick me up after the cruise was over. Ugh. Let’s see how this situation plays out…

 

Mom and I got up at 9:00 and decided to walk to get some breakfast before we headed to the cruise port. We made our way down the street and saw this place called 18 Bagel Co., and we were intrigued so we went in. I got an everything bagel sandwich with egg and cheese and an iced coffee, and y’all….it was flippin’ awesome. The bagel was covered in all that goodness that they put on everything bagels, and the egg was nice and hot, cheese perfectly melty….delish! And the coffee….oh my gosh, don’t get me started on it….that is some of the BEST iced coffee I have ever had! Mom and I devoured our breakfast, then walked back to the hotel. Our shuttle to the port was going to pick us up at 11, and we were all packed up and waiting in the lobby at 10:40. About this time, my nerves began to kick in wondering if Mom was going to get onboard, and I started sweating and getting nauseated. Oh God, please don’t let that bagel and coffee come back up! 

 

The shuttle arrived and we piled in, and I looked over at Mom. She wasn’t looking so good herself, and I kept saying silent prayers that a) we wouldn’t throw up in the nice shuttle driver’s bus, and b) Mom would get onboard. The first prayer was answered, and after wishing us a good, fun-filled vacation the driver sped off, leaving Mom and I on the curb of the port. We grabbed the handles of our bags, figured out where to go for check in, and started that way. It was time for the moment of truth. GULP!    

 

At the top of the escalator, there was the first check in point where they just look to make sure you have the right documents. I breezed thru (thank you, passport!) and waiting on Mom. Wait, Mom, what the fudge are you doing, you’re handing over your EXPIRED license! Don’t tick them off! I felt like I was about to pass out. However, the clerk merely glanced at it and waved her thru. Seriously? That easy?

 

We began walking away and I whispered, “You gave them the expired license!”

 

“I know! I figured if they made a fuss, then I would give them my new temporary one,” she whispered back as we approached the security check point.

 

We breezed thru security (they didn’t even glance at my 2 bottles of wine) and made our way to the Priority check in counter. As we approached I studied the agents, trying to figure out which one looked the nicest. I chose one and walked up….and Mom went to a different one! Mom, what the HECK are you doing? I chose this one because she looks nice, yours doesn’t look as friendly! My bagel and coffee started churning in my belly again, and I focused on deep breathing and trying to hold down my breakfast as I listened to Mom and her agent.

 

“Here’s my ID and birth certificate, I don’t have a passport.”

 

“Oh, you were born in New York. I was too. What part are you from?
 

“Upstate, how about you?”

 

“I am as well! What town?”

 

I was finished checking in so I slid down next to Mom, and she and the agent carried on this conversation the whole time. The agent stamped her boarding pass and smiled. “Have a wonderful cruise. Lunch is being served on Lido deck. Boarding has already started, since you are Priority you can head right that way to get onboard. Have fun!”

 

We began walking to the boarding area, and I started trembling. We were home free! They never checked her DL expiration date, or if they did, they didn’t care! I wanted to cry tears of joy, but I held myself together and we made our way up the gangway and onboard the Paradise.

 

I had friends sailing this week, my “cruise grandma” and “cruise grandpa” that I met on the Vista in 2017.  We hadn’t even realized that we were on this same sailing until a week before, hahaha! They had sent me a message that they were waiting in the atrium at the bar, so I looked for them as we boarded. There’s “Grandma!”
 

 

I said a quick hello to Cruise Grandma and asked her where Cruise Grandpa was. He had gone to drop off carry-ons in their room, and Mom and I decided to do the same with ours. We headed to find our room, and here was where the Paradise first hit me as being different from the newer Carnival ships….I have never stayed in a rom that is BELOW the atrium level! Looking at the deck plans all of the entertainment venues are on UPPER decks, and most of the staterooms are below them. We had to go down one level from the atrium and all the way aft, we had an aft extended view cabin, U226.

 

What can I say about our stateroom…. I love, love, LOVED that our balcony had shade on it. The way the rooms were, the balcony from above us completely covered our balcony so we could sit out there anytime and not roast. Also, we were the lowest aft balcony, so we were the closest to the water I have ever been. The sound was soothing, and we could look for flying fish. Our A/C worked VERY well, it actually froze me and Mom out sometimes! Now the downsides…there just didn’t seem to be as much storage as we have had in previous cabins, especially in the bathroom. We made do though. Also, there was a pole that was RIGHT THERE as you walked in the doorway, and let me just say that it could be kinda dangerous, especially if you had a few too many drinks. Not that I ever do that……bahaha. Why couldn’t they put the pole in the middle of the room so I could at least dance around it, brush up on my skills?

 

Breakfast 

 

Bathroom

 

Wonderful balcony!

Ignore my mess 😂 I love how they have the phone on the wall...it’s not taking up desk space! 

 

U226

See the dangerous pole there on the left??!!

Bathroom again

 

[pirate4me2]

4 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

I was wondering whether your Mom made it onto the ship!  I figured she'd be fine with the expired DL and the temp paper one.

 

I didn't see us go under the bridge.  It's a long ride out and I think I just gave up.  I probably decided I needed another drink! 😁

 

If I retire to the Gulf Coast, I expect to be sailing from Tampa (if the prices are right).  I hadn't sailed from there since my first 2 cruises (Jubilee in 2001 and RCI Empress in 2003).  Plus, MSC is moving Armonia there and I quite like that old, smaller ship (slightly smaller than Fantasy class ships).  And, of course, LOVE the Spirit Class ships.

 

Hey hey, I was wondering if you would pop in on this thread. I wanted to tell you that I see why you are a fan of the Fantasy class now...I should have heeded your advice and tried them out sooner!

 

48 minutes ago, 4hunters said:

Great start to your review.  Looking forward to more!  Thank you for taking the time to share with us.

 

More to come when I get home from work tonight!

 

7 minutes ago, Sagittarius traveler said:

Your mom is funny with her expired id 😂🤣

 

 

Oh my gosh, I couldn't believe she did that.  I am glad she got on tho!

[pirate4me2]

I awoke from my deep slumber at 7:45 and immediately noticed that the ship was ROCKIN. I have been on some bumpy sailings before, but this was the most I had ever noticed the motion. Maybe it was because I was on a smaller ship? I looked outside and saw that we had some pretty good sized waves. It must be a combo of the two factors.

 

Mom and I opted to forgo breakfast and just get some coffee from the coffee shop on deck 9 midship. I asked for an iced latte with coconut flavor, Mom got a caramel frappe. The barista handed me my drink in one of the new plastic cups that they put the coffee in to be eco friendly, and I asked for one of the sugar straws to use since I hate drinking from a glass that I haven’t washed (yes, I am a semi-germaphobe, at least about that) and I was shocked when she said no. I asked why, since in the past it has not been a problem, and she told me that they only give the straws with frozen drinks, not with non-frozen beverages, even if you ask. This shocked me as this has never been a problem in the past. I hate the sugar straws, but I hate drinking from a “strange” glass even more!

 

Mom and I made our way into the Queen Mary lounge for the 2 hour seminar that the horse group had set up, and after that we were famished so we headed to Sea Day Brunch. This was held in the Elation dining room, and I loved how they had a model of the Carnival Elation at the entrance of the restaurant. Brunch was not busy at all, and service was  good. I got the salmon salad, which was good and the presentation was wonderful, as well as the Voyager burger, which was messy but delicious as always. 

 

I had some onboard credit from booking with the group, and I was trying not to drink a lot this cruise (hahahahahahahaha!) so I headed to the Fun Shops for a little retail therapy. They had a hoodie jacket that I wanted, so I got that and went back to the room to sit on the balcony and ready for a bit. I may or may not have downed a whole bottle of wine and then passed out for a bit, but when I woke up it was around 6:00 and I had the urge to go to the gym. Yeah, that had to be the wine talking! Hehe. The gym was NOT BUSY at all, it was mostly crew members in there at this hour…I guess because it was elegant night and a lot of people were at dinner or getting ready for dinner.

 

Working out made me hungry, so Mom and I went to the Lido buffet again tonight. I got the same sandwich as last time, the tomato and mozzarella, but with BACON added to it. Nomnomnom. It was yummylicious, and my salad wasn’t half bad either. 

 

We went back to the cabin right quick after eating and discovered we had gifts waiting for us! What the heck, I see there is a Platinum/Diamond gift, but they left chocolate covered strawberries too? Must be the chocolate delight. But wait…there is an envelope taped to the dish, that isn’t normal. It was a note from Leon, with a gift certificate for a steakhouse selection for 2 in the MDR! I had left a picture of him at the party the night before with a compliment about what a  good CD he was, but I never expected this! It made my day.

 

Mom and I headed to 80’s Pop to the Max for the 9:15 showing, and it was OK. I am just not a huge fan of the show, but Mom actually liked the singers and dancers this cruise and said it was good. When it ended I was tired, so we decided to call it a night.

 

Next up…Grand Cayman!

 

balcony view

 

Moms coffee

 

Bahama Mama!

Elation model outside the Elation MDR

 

Shrimp salad

 

Burger

 

Leon’s note and gifts 

Edited January 22, 2020 by pirate4me2

[pirate4me2]

Random day 2 pics:

Creepy statue next to glass elevators 

 

Artwork around the ship

 

 

My balcony time, ahhhhhhh

 

Aft near the waterworks 

 

I love the sinks in the spa ladies’ changing room

Edited January 22, 2020 by pirate4me2

[Joe817]

Great review! Keep 'er coming! How was your Group Horse seminar/lecture? What topics did you all cover?

[pirate4me2]

We had gotten a notice the day before that for Priority water shuttle service, we could meet between 8 and 8:30 in the United States bar. We had planned to get our butts out of bed and use the priority service, but when we woke up Mom wasn’t feeling well. She fell back asleep for a bit, and we finally got up and moving about around 9:00. We didn’t have an excursion today, the plan was to just walk around town and maybe check out a beach if Mom was feeling up to it. We headed down to the gangway on deck 3 and there was no wait whatsoever. Score! Another plus of being on a smaller ship.

 

Our day really was not all that exciting, sorry y’all. We wandered downtown, walking from one end to the other, and stopped for lunch at Sharkeez. I mainly just needed to use their internet, hahaha. I got a Cayman Mama drink, which was delicious and I could easily get drunk off those, and Mom and I split and order of mixed tacos….2 shrimp and 1 fish. The shrimp tacos were good, but the fish…oh man. The fish wins hands down! It was mahi, so not an overpowering fish, and just so dang delicious. 

 

After lunch we walked a bit more, and we almost made it to some beach but decided that since we were getting close to the last tender time (2:15) we needed to head back. It didn’t take a s long as we thought it would to get back to the port, we probably could have made it to the beach, we ended up back on the ship at 1:45.

 

MSC Mera in port with us today

 

Paradise

 

Paradise, Mera and a Princess ship in port 

 

lots of lizards in Grand Cayman

 

Beautiful church 

 

Look at that stained glass! 

 

 

 

Lizard statue

 

Tacos! 

 

 

Paradise in...well, Paradise! 

Edited January 22, 2020 by pirate4me2

[pirate4me2]

19 minutes ago, Joe817 said:

Great review! Keep 'er coming! How was your Group Horse seminar/lecture? What topics did you all cover?

 

Well....we had 4 hours of conference time, but I only went to 2 hrs. LOL. We had a speaker who is a clinician on overcoming fear, and then we had a presentation from the founder of Stolen Horse international the first day. Those were the 2 hours that I attended.

[Joe817]

37 minutes ago, pirate4me2 said:

 

Well....we had 4 hours of conference time, but I only went to 2 hrs. LOL. We had a speaker who is a clinician on overcoming fear, and then we had a presentation from the founder of Stolen Horse international the first day. Those were the 2 hours that I attended.

Thank you. We have something like that down here in Texas, but for cattle primarily, called the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. Both very honorable organizations. 

[ferlr]

1 hour ago, pirate4me2 said:

Mom and I opted to forgo breakfast and just get some coffee from the coffee shop on deck 9 midship. I asked for an iced latte with coconut flavor, Mom got a caramel frappe. The barista handed me my drink in one of the new plastic cups that they put the coffee in to be eco friendly, and I asked for one of the sugar straws to use since I hate drinking from a glass that I haven’t washed (yes, I am a semi-germaphobe, at least about that) and I was shocked when she said no. I asked why, since in the past it has not been a problem, and she told me that they only give the straws with frozen drinks, not with non-frozen beverages, even if you ask. This shocked me as this has never been a problem in the past. I hate the sugar straws, but I hate drinking from a “strange” glass even more!

 

I was able to get straws on my cruise on the Breeze in October. So, note to self: take my own this time! I am like you and can't drink out of a cup/glass without one.

 

Also glad to hear the shows weren't horrible! Can't wait to see them! Come on February!!!

[pirate4me2]

16 minutes ago, ferlr said:

 

I was able to get straws on my cruise on the Breeze in October. So, note to self: take my own this time! I am like you and can't drink out of a cup/glass without one.

 

Also glad to hear the shows weren't horrible! Can't wait to see them! Come on February!!!

 

This is the first cruise where they have flat out refused to give me one of the icky sugar straws to use. I wonder if it is to urge people to buy the stainless steel ones they sell onboard now?

[Cruzer1102]

Loving the review. Thanks!

[pirate4me2]

30 minutes ago, Cruzer1102 said:

Loving the review. Thanks!

Thanks for following along! More to come later tonight (hopefully)!

[pirate4me2]

We went back to the room and just chilled on our balcony all afternoon, until it was time for the cocktail party for our group at 5:00. This was held in the Rex night club, deck 9 midship, and we had a choice of screwdrivers (ewww), Rum Punch (not my favorite but the best drink on offer), and wine. Oh, you could also get soda if you wanted. The group took advantage of the free drinks, by the time dinner rolled around we were all a bit tipsy.

 

We staggered down to dinner and I decided to use the steakhouse selection coupon from Leon. Mom doesn’t eat beef, so I asked some others at the table what they would like. I got the filet mignon for myself, and a NY Strip Steak for the table. We had just placed our order when Mom nudged me and said, “I need to go back to the room. Take me back please.” She was pretty wasted, so I escorted her back to the room (thank goodness it was only down 2 floors!) and asked her if she needed me to stay with her. I was really, really, really hoping she would allow me to go back to dinner, I wanted my filet mignon! Luckily she said she would be Ok and she passed out in her bed.

 

I skipped back up to dinner just as the entrées were delivered, and oh my….the filet mignon was excellent. So was Mom’s chicken Milanese…I had the drunk munchies, don’t judge! I was just far enough gone to even get my arse up and dance to “Low” at showtime. I am sorry to anyone that witnessed that, I know it’s a sight that you will never be able to unsee.

 

After dinner I decided I better go check on Mom. She had made her way to the bathroom and was sitting on the floor mumbling something about needing a shower.

 

“Bathtime, baby needs bath.” Oh Lord, I am NOT a babysitter! Go back to bed!  I tried to get her to move, but was unsuccessful. I began dancing because I really, really needed to pee, and I pleaded with her to please get out of the way.

 

“Just pee on me. Baby need bath anyway.”

 

What the heck, when you got stung by a jellyfish you wouldn’t let me pee on you, but now you’re telling me to?! No. Just no. I am not dealing with this. I raced out of the cabin and up the stairs to the nearest public bathroom. Once done, I went back to the cabin, resolved to drag her back to bed so I could shower. Luckily she had gotten herself together (somewhat) and was in the shower. From the noises that were happening I think she was trying to blow bubbles in the water. At least….that’s what I hope the noises were. She staggered out and I swear to you, she was snoring as she walked to the bed and fell down on it. Did she just sleep-shower?!

 

I went into the bathroom and braced myself for what I might see, but it was spotless. Whew! I quickly took my shower, in case Mom took a turn for the worse and needed the bathroom, and crawled into bed. I read for a little bit, then decided to get some shut eye about 9:30.

 

Tomorrow….Cozumel!
 

 

 

Chicken Milenasa (however you spell it!)

Filet mignon, yum!

 

 

Edited January 22, 2020 by pirate4me2