A GLORY-ous Cruise - REVIEW 1/28 Western Sailing

[albertiger]

Thank You Liza and Zebster!:D

[LizaMM]

Liza, where is the 2nd installment? I have been trying to be patient but....:o Please, I need more.

 

 

Well....I came home to LOTS of REALITY!!! Additionally, sick kids and cold myself so this is going to take longer than I anticipated.....SECOND INSTALLMENT.....

 

SUNDAY – 1/29/06, KEY WEST

Woke up to the sounds of the waves lapping outside. We did bring bungee cord to keep the balcony door open at night while we slept. Laid in bed and relaxed for awhile then ordered coffee from room service which we drank on our balcony in our robes. We were hungry and decided to get dressed and go to the Platinum Dining Room for open seating breakfast. We were seated with a lovely couple from Trinidad. I had an omelette which was very good.

 

After breakfast we walked around a bit. Went to the internet café to take care of some emails to the family and looked for our photos. We went out on Empress Deck aft to enjoy that view on the front of the ship below the bridge as we approached Key West for a little while. I was feeling a little tired and wanted to go out on deck and relax in a lounge chair and possibly a nap before our afternoon in Key West. We were scheduled to dock at noon and planned on waiting a bit until getting off the ship as we had no tour booked and wanted to avoid the rush of people. We had made plans to try and meet the CC folks at 12:30 at the Kaleidoscope Bar. We went out on deck and were looking for a spot but by then the ship was approaching the dock and people were all over watching and we wound up joining in. Never got my nap but did rest and relax for a little while on a lounge chair until about 12:30 when we then headed back to the cabin to get our id’s and prepare to go to Key West. We did not wind up meeting the CC folks. We were a little late reaching the bar. Sat for a while and then decided to head off the ship on our own.

 

We went down to Deck 0 and got off the ship quickly and waited briefly for a Trolley. We were docked at the Outer Mole/Old Navy Pier. Since this is a navy pier you are not allowed to wander around on your own. Additionally, this is not right near Mallory Square and all the action of Duval Street so the Trolley is a good thing. A trolley arrived very quickly and we all got on. It was drizzling a bit but stopped before we reached town. We got a seat in the very front of the trolley which was fun and gave us some good views. Vaughn was our driver and gave the usual corny jokes and also some interesting info about Key West as he took us to Mallory Square drop off point.

 

We had planned on doing our own informal pub crawl. We started on one side of Duval Street and walked down and then would come back up the other side and just stop into places that attracted us.

 

Our first stop was the Hogs Breath Saloon. We got seats at the bar right where you walk in. Art ordered a Hogs Breath Beer and I had a Hogarita, The musician who was singing was pretty good and played music in the realm of James Taylor. We sat for a while enjoying the music, our drinks and chatting and then the skies opened up and it started to pour! The place filled up pretty quickly then!!

 

When the rain let up a bit we left and moved on down the street. We wound up seeing the couple who had been behind us at security on Saturday and they called us over and we joined their table at The Bull. The entertainer there was very funny and was having a good time hootin and hollerin and joking with our table. We had a drink and lots of laughter and again waited for the rain to let up then moved across the street.

 

We popped into Sloppy Joes but the sounds coming from Irish Kevins beckoned us!! What a fabulous time we had in here!!! I laughed and laughed and sang and had more margaritas. We had a table right at the foot of the stage and it was really great fun!

 

The last trolley back to the ship was 5:00PM and I hate to be in the rush and lines of the last minute throng so we left Irish Kevins and walked back to meet the trolley at around 4:00PM. The rain had stopped and it was lovely out. We picked up a couple of souvenirs and then the trolley back to the Glory. Quickly back on the ship and up to the cabin to deposit our goods.

 

We relaxed in the cabin for a bit and then decided to go and have some sushi again. Jerry and Tony who we met at Sushi Salmon the evening before were also there eating. We sat and chatted with them about our days. It was nice because they seemed to be on the same “sushi schedule” as us and we had also partied with them in the piano bar and the disco the night before so we had lots to chat about! Jerry and Tony went off to dinner and we went up to our cabin to change into our robes and watch Sail Away from Key West from our balcony and then a nap before dinner......

[LizaMM]

Woke up from that lovely nap showered and dressed and headed for our table in the Dining Room. Once again we waited for a bit and still no tablemates :confused: We decided to see about getting another table and went down to the first level to see the Maitre d’. I explained our situation and what we would like and he was very kind and helpful. He said that he would be happy to put us at a large table but of course there was no guaranty that people would show up. A quick sweep of the eye around the area and we could see that large tables either seemed to be filled with groups traveling together or held many empty seats. He went on to offer us seating with another couple at a table for 4 and he told us that “he knew” they would be there for dinner every night. I wasn’t sure how he could make this promise but Art and I talked for a moment and decided to give that option a whirl.

 

The Maitre d’ brought us over to the new table which was on the first level and 3 tables to the right of the entry. Again I thought “ugh” to the location as I really like to be in the middle where the action is and this was a more quiet, private scenario. It turned out to be GREAT as we got along fabulously with our tablemates and when it was time to dance our waitresses came right over and brought us with them every night.

 

So we met David and Deborah from Atlanta and started chatting. We hit it off right away and through the course of the evening we found out that they had also switched their table as they had been assigned the Main Seating but really wanted Late Seating. They were traveling with their 2 young children but wanted to have dinner each night in the Dining Room as a couple (sat with their kids in Lido while they ate earlier). Dinner was their adult couple time hence the reason the Maitre d’ had said they would be there every night. We also discovered that David grew up in the town right next to me and they were in fact in the cabin right next to us on the Panorama Deck! We had a great time getting to know them.

 

After we finally left the dining room we decided to go to the Ivory for some jazz music and once again the musicians were just going on a break! I stopped and asked them when they would start up again and we wound up chatting for a bit as we knew some of the same people since I had become friendly with a jazz trio on a previous cruise whom I kept in touch with via email.

 

We wandered up to the Promenade Deck. Bar Blue was standing room only so it was back to our favorite Cinn-A-Bar! We hung out singing and dancing and playing superheroes and the name game song (if you ever sail/ed with Barry you will know what I mean!).

 

Art and I along with Jerry and Tony left and went over to the Amber Palace to see Percy Crews and his R Rated Midnight Comedy Show. Percy was funny and we all had a lot of laughs. This was our first (and would be our only!) show in the Amber Palace. It seemed to have a nice set up for viewing and the seats were very comfy.

 

After the show the group of us went back to the Piano Bar and “played” with Barry some more. Then it was over to the White Heat Disco once again until I thought my feet would fall off!

 

We ended another wonderful day by spending a few minutes on the balcony, bungee cord on the door and then into that wonderful bed for some much needed sleep!!

[christinasreadytocruise]

eeeekk! sound like you were having a marvelous time on your cruise. i love readng long reviews like yours. keep it coming!

[LizaMM]

Great review, Lisa!

 

So glad to meet you folks on the cruise! Did those "swimming pictures" turn out? :eek: Sorry about that!

 

We took a Carnival cruise to have FUN! We certainly did have FUN! By the second week when you all boarded, we had already had too much fun and were a bit tired! :D (Honestly, think our bar bill was more than the cost of our cruise .... :rolleyes: )

 

Our major problem with Glory was the quality of the food! Whatever, no cruise is ever perfect! We took this cruise for FUN, not FOOD! We had a great time doing our ship bar/lounge hopping almost every night! Wonder how many times Barry (Piano Bar) played "I Don't Wanna Work... I Wanna Sit at the Bar All Day ...." song each night? Now, I can't get it out of my head ....

 

[If anyone is going to be on Glory between now and the end of March, do stop by the Casino Bar when "Diamond Jeff" is there. He can play ANYTHING! In two weeks he was different each night.

 

Thanks for taking the time to do such a wonderful review!

 

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :) [/b]

 

It was great meeting you guys as well!! and YES thanks for taking the pictures while we were both in that synch swim contest!!!

 

I am glad to hear that you guys had FUN!! I KNOW we did!!!! I hear ya on the bar bill :eek:

 

As far as the food goes I think that I just made good selections. After my 2 experiences with the steak in the dining room I stayed away and ordered different things. The steak the first night was overcooked and the next time I had a steak dish it was good but the tiniest portion I ever saw! Could have eaten 3!! However, the steak in the Emerald room was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!! I found the soups to be 'eh...a little bland and not hot enough and the salads were nothing to write home about. In fact after 2 nights I skipped salad and ordered 2 appetizers instead. The exception: the wilted spinach salad with bacon....divine! Overall I enjoyed the food but like I said I selected carefully! Also....I NEVER ate from the "regular" buffet area but instead had fish n chips, deli, pizza or sushi and I ALWAYS get my eggs from the omelette station if I have breakfast food on Lido.

 

Poor Barry must get sick of that at some point!!! I'll tell you though we had such a good time with him and Jeff all week!! We danced with them in the disco and had pizza on the Lido Deck with them a few times during the week.

 

Anyone sailing soon......Tell BARRY that SPIDERMAN and WONDER WOMAN say hello and also a big hello to DIAMOND JEFF from the JEWISH GIRL FROM BROOKLYN!!!

[LizaMM]

Former neighbor, From Monroe....

You will see the CCL reps walking around the terminal. You can purchase transfers from them but it is easier to do it ahead of time. $50 p/p r/t

Yes there are shuttle companies that are less and yes you can rent a car, but if its just the 2 of you I would just go with CCL.

 

The Hyatt is right IN the terminal at MCO. There are many hotels around the airport, but the Hyatt is the easiest. If you get there early in the evening all of the shops and restaurants in the terminal will be open.

Have a great cruise...

 

Lisa, glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise.

 

Hey there Zebster!!!

 

I agree. Thought that since it was just the 2 of us this was easiest.

 

Being in the terminal was cool! I did walk around the shops and we actually had dinner in the terminal PLUS there was a Starbucks :) And the fountain are was great for people watching!

 

Getting to the shuttle was so easy! The porter simply comes and picks your luggage up in your room and takes you all the way over. No fuss. And I like to reduce the "fuss" in travel as much as possible!

 

Thanks Zebster! I had a blast - this was my best cruise so far!!

[gypsyrose]

Liza, I LOVE reading your review. Makes me feel like I was right there with you. ALthough I am not sure I would be able to last as long as you guys. I go to bed early at home but hope to become a nite owl on the ship. Maybe having 8 pm dinner would help. Let me ask, did the room stay a comfortable temp with the balcony door open? Also, I have read that the room gets real sticky and wet from condensation if you leave the door open. Have my bungee cord ready just in case though ;) Thanks again for taking the time for such a detailed review. I dread that REALITY thing when we get home.

[msolberg]

CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP (me applauding your review) :D

 

Great second installment LizaMM. You and Arthur must have wonderful, outgoing personalities. It would be great to meet people like you on our upcoming cruise.

 

I can't wait - we leave in 29 days!

 

Diane

[OCruisers]

Well....

We popped into Sloppy Joes but the sounds coming from Irish Kevins beckoned us!! What a fabulous time we had in here!!! I laughed and laughed and sang and had more margaritas. We had a table right at the foot of the stage and it was really great fun!......

 

We also had a great time a Irish Kevins!!!:D What a totally FUN place to be!

 

Hope your cold is better! We both brought one back with us as well.... Thank goodness it didn't happen until the last night of the cruise!!!

 

Happy Sailing! OCruisers

[cruisinbuddy]

Oh just sitting here eagerly awaiting the next installment. I'm not wierd, I love to read this stuff. So far it appears that you've had a great time.

[luvgreys]

Liza, You are making me sooooooo excited about our cruise on the Glory! I love reading your reviews, THANK YOU so much! Keep them coming when you can!!!!!

[christinasreadytocruise]

well liza i hope you start feeling better soon. :D

[racegrrl]

Liza, were you in the Golden Dining room? Sounds like you were at the table next to where we were - who were your servers? We had Nicoleta & Reynaldo and they were terrific. Looking forward to the rest of your review as we are planning another cruise with my parents in the late fall of this year back on the Inspiration. I think they will like the smaller ship better. :)

[zebster15]

We will have 17 'kids' flying in from CT for our cruise next month. 11 of which we will pick up from Orlando airport on Thur and Fri. One of the best airports for spending time in. Unfortunetly, my kids usually take the last flight out of BDL so by the time we go to get them, the shops are all closed.

 

The others are coming on different flights on Sat, so they will just take the transfers over to the pier. Plus we can't fit anyone else in the cars!

[zebster15]

Liza is that you and Art the other thread is looking for???:D :confused:

[LizaMM]

MONDAY 1/30/06 – A FUN DAY AT SEA

 

Woke up again to the sounds of the sea. Art was sleeping soundly and I really needed some coffee and fresh air. I dressed and left him a note on the mirror (gotta love those post-it’s notes!) and I walked out on deck. Got myself a cup of coffee and then sat in one of the blue rock/swivel chairs…total bliss!

 

After about half an hour I felt totally refreshed and went back to the cabin to find Arthur having just gotten up. We ordered some coffee from room service and sat on the balcony for awhile and discussed the day.

 

When we were ready we went up to the Spa to see about booking a massage. They had an opening for a Couples Massage at 4:15 that afternoon and we booked it. Then it was down to the Platnum Dining Room for breakfast. We were the first ones to be seated at a large aft table so we had a great view of the wake. After a few moments 3 other couples were seated with us. This is one of those wonderful attributes of cruises! It was so interesting to talk with these people who might not otherwise have met.

 

After breakfast we checked email in the internet café and then went back to the cabin. At around 12:00PM we walked out to the pool deck to search for lounge chairs. It was pretty full and there was a lot of chair saving that we saw. We came across 2 lounge chairs with folded towels on them in a nice spot on the upper deck. We watched for a bit and we talked to the people in the vicinity who all told us that they had been sitting there for quite awhile and never saw anything on those 2 chairs but the folded towels so we took the towels off and laid them on the ground by the chairs and proceeded to set ourselves up. This was a great spot! We were on the upper deck of the port side of the ship and we had a good view of the stage and the activities to come. By the way…we were laying here for well over an hour before the “chair savers” came looking for their towels!

 

The first thing we did was order a drink of the day which was the Riviera Delight. The sun was shining, there was a glorious slight breeze from the movement of the ship we exhilarated in the atmosphere and talked and read our books for a while.

 

Being a wine enthusiast, I had thought that I would like to attend the Wine Tasting scheduled for 1:00PM but the day was fabulous on deck and I can go to wine tasting at home anytime so I basked in the sunshine some more!

 

The Ice Carving Sculpture Demonstration started at around 1:00PM. Tina was the Social Host and I just could not get over the fact that she was wearing long pants and a sweatshirt!! I was able to watch from my loungechair while he carved away to make an ice representation of the ship.

 

Arthur was hungry and wandered off to find food which he brought back to the chair. The Men’s Hairy Chest Contest started. We had a LOT of laughs watching this and I refilled my drink of the day. Water Melon Eating contest came next and we watched, read and dozed off.

 

I had the greatest naps out on deck!! The Calypso band playing in the background, people filled with joy all around me, the sun shining over head, the ship gliding along the sea…..Bliss!! I would doze of with such peace and serenity and wake up with the most intense feeling of contentment and utterly refreshed. Pure R&R!

 

When I woke from this nap I was feeling a little hungry. My darling boyfriend went off to get me food. I really wanted the fish and chips but he came back to tell me that they were closed. He offered to get me something else but I decided I’d just rather wait for Sushi a little later and we relaxed and read for a bit longer.

 

At Around 4:00PM we left the deck to go to the Spa. Stopped by the cabin on the way to drop off our stuff and were ready to get pampered! We each went into the locker rooms and filled out forms. After a couple of minutes Kirsten came to get me and brought me to the couples room where I found Art and Paola waiting. We had 50 minute massages side by side. We both had a great massage experience. When all was said and done they tried to tell us about the products but we said that we were not interested in buying and they were just fine with that. We were feeling very refreshed but I was definitely ready for some food now!

 

It was about 5:30 when we headed down to the Promenade deck. The Captains Cocktail Party for the Main Dinner Seating had started at 5:00 so we went into Bar Blue and got some free drinks and took them over to Sushi Salmon where we sat for a few minutes with Jerry and Tony who were all dressed up in their tuxes ready for dinner. I went up to Lido Deck and got a tray from the buffet area while Art refilled the Sushi. We put all our stuff on a tray and brought it back to the cabin to have Sushi on our balcony. Then we laid down and relaxed for while until it was time to get ready for our first Formal Night.

 

The cocktail party for the Late Seating started at 7:15. We went down at about 7:30 and went into the Ebony Lounge. We went straight to the bar and ordered martini’s. They make them small so we got 2 each so we would not have to go back and since it was very crowded in the lounge we took our drinks over to the Burgundy Wine Bar and sat there. Chatted with some Officers and fellow Pax until it was time to go to the Golden Dining Room.

 

I remember the meals this night – I had the fois gras crème brulee which was really amazing and I ordered the roasted pumpkin soup instead of salad. It was pretty good but generally the soups on a cruise are a bit bland for my taste and not hot enough when served. We all ordered 2 entrees. We each had the lobster tail and in addition I had the sweet and sour duck, Arthur had the prime rib, Deborah had the quail and David had the duck as well. The lobster was good but we all really enjoyed our 2nd entrée! The duck was fabulous and not to sweet which was just to my liking. It was cooked perfectly which I was a bit surprised because duck can be hit or miss anywhere. I don’t recall what I had for dessert but I know I liked it and I was again surprised because I enjoyed my desserts and had read so many negative comments about them in reviews. Also – we brought a bottle of wine and were charged the $10 corkage fee.

 

We had great conversation and I think we were the last people to leave the dining room. We went up to the Promenade and danced along with Diamond Jeff for awhile. Then it was to the Cinn-A-Bar for more piano fun with Barry. At one point I went up to the cabin to get something and I bumped into CD Mark Price and comedian Percy Crews in the hallway and had a nice chat with the 2 of them. We finished off the night in the disco. I couldn’t believe we both stayed in our formal attire all night! My feet were thankful when I finally slipped off those heels and my gown and sank into bed!!

[LizaMM]

Liza, were you in the Golden Dining room? Sounds like you were at the table next to where we were - who were your servers? We had Nicoleta & Reynaldo and they were terrific. Looking forward to the rest of your review as we are planning another cruise with my parents in the late fall of this year back on the Inspiration. I think they will like the smaller ship better. :)

 

I think that Nicoletta may have been our main server.....very pretty, dark hair??

 

The assistant server was Ekta and she was an absolute doll!

 

Perhaps they made some switches after your week.

[gypsyrose]

Liza, Thanks so much. I search these threads every day for another installment. So, what happened when the chair savers came back? Did they even have the nerve to fuss at you? I hope I will have the courage to do that. Last time we just went to the farthest area and found 2 chairs together. I want to be able to watch some activities this time though. Great idea hitting both captains parties. I am learning a lot from you ;)

Looking forward to the rest.

[luvgreys]

Liza, Once again, you leave me wanting more!!!! Great Job. I know it is hard to be back, and have to reflect.....and wish you were still there. We all are so thankful for your time!

[beaming90]

So far I have loved reading your review. We are planning on staying at the Hyatt at the airport before our Glory cruise too. You didn't happen to notice the price of the breakfast buffet did you? I have been searching and searching for that and cannot find an answer. Thanks! :o

[LizaMM]

Liza, Thanks so much. I search these threads every day for another installment. So, what happened when the chair savers came back? Did they even have the nerve to fuss at you? I hope I will have the courage to do that. Last time we just went to the farthest area and found 2 chairs together. I want to be able to watch some activities this time though. Great idea hitting both captains parties. I am learning a lot from you ;)

Looking forward to the rest.

 

 

We were resting and reading when they did come back. They didn't say a word....just picked up the towels and walked off.

[LizaMM]

Liza, Once again, you leave me wanting more!!!! Great Job. I know it is hard to be back, and have to reflect.....and wish you were still there. We all are so thankful for your time!

 

 

Well the nice thing about refelecting is that it was such a fabulous week!! This was really my best cruise ever!!

[LizaMM]

So far I have loved reading your review. We are planning on staying at the Hyatt at the airport before our Glory cruise too. You didn't happen to notice the price of the breakfast buffet did you? I have been searching and searching for that and cannot find an answer. Thanks! :o

 

 

Hmmm....I don't remember how much the buffet was. I'll ask Art and see if he remembers.

[LizaMM]

TUESDAY 1/31/06 – BELIZE

 

We had a wake-up call for 7:00AM as we had an early excursion. Ordered room service for breakfast which came quickly. After we ate and dressed we went to the White Heat Disco to meet our excursion group at 8:15. We went through a lot of thought prior to the cruise before deciding what to do in Belize. First we expected that we would go cave tubing and I spent time researching the message boards and contacting individual tour operators. Then after talking and looking at other ideas we decided that we would rather snorkel. We really did not want to spend so much time in transit on a van and cave tubing would be a good thing to save and do with kids on a future cruise :) So I started looking into snorkeling excursions and private operators to Shark Ray Alley and Reef but Goff’s Caye really attracted us so we wound up with the Carnival excursion to Goff’s Caye .

 

Anyway…. We met at the disco and all went down to Deck 0 in a group. We got directly onto the excursion boat from the ship – a benefit of booking the excursion via the ship.

 

It took about a half an hour to ride over to the Caye. During the ride the guides introduced themselves, fitted everyone for fins and passed out gear. We were also given the option to snorkel by swimming from the Caye or staying on the boat which would take us out to snorkel. Both would be guided and would last 45 minutes. Those who decided to go out on the boat would still have about an hour to an hour and a half on the Caye. We docked at Goff’s Caye and a bunch of people got off with a couple of the guides. We opted to stay on the boat. Boat took us out and we all got in the water. There were a few guides and they swam with orange life rings in their hands so we could easily spot them. We were given some basic instructions and they did a great job showing us around. AT first it wasn’t such great views but then we swam to a more shallow area and it was amazing! The boat followed us as the guides lead and pointed stuff out. We snorkeled for about 45 minutes and then climbed back up on the boat and went over to dock at Goff’s Caye. We did have the option of taking our gear and snorkeling off the beach if we wanted and that would have been unguided at this point. Art and I had both had enough and were looking forward to just lying on the beach of this tiny island.

 

The water was gorgeous and we spread our towels on the sand and relaxed….TRULY a tiny island with one port-a potty situated on the dock….there was a hut with a grill and beverages for sale but we did not get anything. There were souvenirs for sale, hair braiders and a couple of people who walked around selling stuff – not pushy at all. We stayed for a little over an hour before getting back on the boat and returning to the Glory at about 12:15PM. We really enjoyed this excursion!!

 

When we got back on the ship we went up to our cabin and reconvened, Both hungry and ready for a Drink of the Day we headed for Lido! We got our drinks, glanced around the buffet and then went up to Fish and Chips. We filled our tray and went down and sat by the aft pool to eat. Really enjoyed this meal!!

 

After lunch we went to the cabin to get our stuff together and then to Deck 0 to catch a tender over to shore. I thought that the tender boats were very nice here. We sat in the back and got great views of the Glory as well as the Princess and RCCL ships as we headed for shore. I was actually surprised at how far away from shore we were! We spent a couple of hours walking around the terminal area and did a little souvenir shopping. Art got a couple of Cuban cigars and some liquor. We intended to check the liquor but there was one bottle that we really wanted to have for the rest of the cruise. We sat down on a bench, lit up the Cuban and then transferred the liquor that we wanted into our now empty water bottles and tossed the empty bottle in the trash. We sipped, smoked and people watched for a bit. Lovely!!

 

The last tender back was at 4:15 and to once again keep away from any rush we walked over and hopped on a tender at around 3:30.

 

When we got back on the ship we went up to the cabin and had a nice rest on the balcony and a nap. Woke at around 6:00 and ordered some coffee. This was our night to dine in the Emerald Room Supper Club and we had made a 7:30 reservation. It was tough getting ready for dinner a whole hour earlier than usual for us! We showered and got all gussied up. It was actually pretty funny because when we were all ready we looked at each other and realized that we matched! Art was wearing a jacket and tie and my dress was the exact color of his shirt – absolutely no planning on our part as we had not seen our clothes in advance and do not live together. Anyway….we walked down across the Promenade deck and got a pre-dinner drink at the Margarita Hour by the casino. Saw some of our friends as we strolled along and walked up to the Emerald Room.

 

We were seated at a table in the middle near the dance floor which is what we had requested. They moved our plates and shifted our chairs so we could sit close to one another. We brought our own bottle of wine and were charged a $10 corkage fee. What a fabulous meal we had here!! The service was fantastic. Presentation of the menu was made, our wine was poured and we ordered. An assortment of breads was brought for us to choose from and 3 flavored butter cups were put on the table. Live music was playing and the ambiance was wonderful. A small “compliments of the chef” appetizer was served first then the starters that we ordered. Art had the onion soup and I had lobster bisque. Both were served with flair. Next came the salads. Art had the greens with the bacon dressing and I ordered Caesar salad which they listed as being “traditionally prepared”. I was a little disappointed as that was not exactly an accurate description. The salad was put together tableside but the dressing had been previously mixed and was not a true traditional Caesar with chopped anchovies and raw egg. It was ok but I liked Art’s salad better! For our entrée Arthur had the porterhouse and sides of grilled veggies and the mushrooms, I had the filet mignon with béarnaise sauce and a side of spinach with garlic in addition to the sides that came with the presentation. The presentation was divine and the food was delicious. Both steaks were served perfectly medium-rare as requested and were beautiful cuts of meat. We have both been to many nice restaurants and 5star New York steakhouses and this meal certainly fell into that ranking. For desert Art had the fresh fruit with ice cream and I had the lime cheesecake with hazelnut crust which was served with a white chocolate mousse topping and a “tower” of pieces of white, dark and milk chocolate. MMMMMMMM!!!! After all that they brought over the “compliments of the chef” dessert which was 2 white chocolate truffles, 2 dark chocolate truffles and 2 of one other thing that I don’t recall at the moment! I thought that Art was going to have to roll me down the stairs when we finally left!!

 

The only other comment that I must make about the Emerald Room is the décor – not complaining just observing ! This room had a lot of wood and cushy fabrics, inlaid wood dancefloor and mood lighting WITH THE exception of the neon emerald green strip lights along the wall and ceiling. I couldn’t help but notice it – repeatedly! LOL! I don’t really notice nor do I mind the glitzy lights on these ships but in this dining room I noticed it and found it to stick out and diminish the atmosphere a bit.

 

Needless to say this was the best meal we had all week and we raved about the food and service to anyone who wanted to listen. Worth every penny! I also want to note that this was the one and only time that no gratuity was automatically added to the bill and it was blank and left for us to fill out.

 

We made our way out of the Emerald Room and stopped in at Cinn-A-Bar to sing and play with Barry and our friends. I was just itching to get out of my dress and heels so we left and went up to the cabin to change.

 

Art laid down on the bed while I changed and he really did not want to get up. I was in the mood to play and he needed a rest. We decided that he would take a nap for awhile and I was going to go back down to the piano bar. The plan was for me to return in 45 minutes to get him. I am used to cruising as a “solo” adult and going out on my own. Barry and Jeff and my friends took great care of me :D Jerry and Tony were heading over to the midnight comedy show but I declined because I wanted to go upstairs and get Arthur. Poor baby was wiped out and fast asleep. Luckily….he gets me! I just love that about him! So it was no problem that I went back down to the piano bar and then once again finished the night off in the White Heat Disco.

[SCDreamWeaver]

you are making my days!! Hubby and I are printing your reviews and reading them in the hot tub!! :cool: I am also emailng them to my g/f and her hubby that are going with us on the same trip!!:D

 

Keep it coming and again, thank you so much for the time you are putting in these posts!!:)