“Suite!” Just Retired to be a pirate at sea with Sea Dog and Polly The Pirate Semi Live Explorer Nov. 7th

[Sea Dog]

52 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

While on Symphony last month they did not charge us for one of our specialty dinners.  We purchased the 3 meal plan.  We ended up doing 5.  We were only charge for 1 of the 2 extra. The dinner at Hooks never made it on the bill.   Not sure why but no complaints.

 

We had an issue with scheduling some of our dinners. We had the 3 night dining package, a specialty dinner for 2 given to us by the TA and a specialty lunch for 2 given by the TA. When I first made the reservation they told me I had to use the specialty restaurant dinner for two on the first night. What I later found out is that you can schedule whenever. The dining manager at Izzumi explained it this way. You have 3 people with a 3 night dining package that's 9 dinners and you have 2 more that's 11 so you can schedule 11 dinners anywhere you want anytime. We ended up not being able to use the specialty lunch since we were out most of the time. Bottom line despite what they tell you when you can schedule, you can schedule your dinners anytime.

 

50 minutes ago, jmklade said:

If you stay at El Convento pre-cruise, they let us drop our luggage there for free after our cruise with some friends while we strolled Old San Juan.

 

 

I have marked it down in my notes for next time. Thank you.

 

 

2 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

I love it, Greg!❤️

Thank you for the enormous list of the alcohol drinks.  I took pictures to bring along.  Did you try all of them?

 

I'm close to half way but still need to try many more.

 

 

[Luckynana]

1 minute ago, Sea Dog said:

 

I'm close to half way but still need to try many more.

 

 

I'm definitely going to give some of them a try, Greg, instead of ordering the same old drinks I get all  the time.  Many of them look amazing!

Once again, your travel blog is awesome.  Thank you for taking us all along!

[George C]

Thanks again for the great review Greg, glad you join the big retirement club. 

[Tree_skier]

Great review Greg, I enjoyed every minute of it.  I can't wait to get back on board. Congratulations on your retirement.!

[BonTexasNY]

Your amazing post-cruise review more than made up for the crappy almost non existent on board internet. You did an incredible job making us feel as if we were with you every step of the way.

 

Your editing, photography creativity and talent speaks volumes.

 

[Sea Dog]

32 minutes ago, BonTexasNY said:

Your amazing post-cruise review more than made up for the crappy almost non existent on board internet. You did an incredible job making us feel as if we were with you every step of the way.

 

Your editing, photography creativity and talent speaks volumes.

 

Thank you so much. I like telling stories. I wanted it to not only be a review but a story and journey of myself. I think people can relate more if it's personal. 

[Momof3gurlz]

Really great trip report/review Greg with beautiful photos.  I’m so glad this cruise lived up to your expectations.  

[joand452]

I’m so glad I caught up and read your entire thread. Thank you so much for the great entertainment and beautiful photos and videos!  

 

Handsome son who does not look old enough to be drinking that Manhattan in Chops!  Too bad my only single daughter is much too old for him!  And she drinks only wine, anyway, and wouldn’t touch sushi with a 10-foot pole!

[ellenw]

Great review. Thanks. You brought back a memory for me.

 

Regarding Caymus. I was on Harmony's inaugural transatlantic. Did the Chef's Table with two of my sisters. Fabulous night!

 

Caymus was served with the beef course. We loved it! The other diners were filtering out as we were savoring the end of that wine. We were eying up the glasses of that wine that our fellow diners didn't drink! We decided we couldn't stoop so low to drink the abandoned glasses! 

 

The sommelier came back out to find us still there. I'm sure he just wanted to clear up. When we told him how much we liked the wine, he brought us each a big glass to take with us. Of course, it wasn't the fabulous wine glasses we had at the dinner. But the wine was luscious just the same. 

[Bailey & Sophie]

1 hour ago, ellenw said:

We were eying up the glasses of that wine that our fellow diners didn't drink! We decided we couldn't stoop so low to drink the abandoned glasses! 

 

 

I might have stooped....😉

[Bronx12]

Fabulous review! Thank you so  much 😉

[Bronx12]

I also took pictures of the drink list for future cruises 🙂

[Bailey & Sophie]

6 minutes ago, Bronx12 said:

I also took pictures of the drink list for future cruises 🙂

 

Me too. I can't think of a new drink on my own and fall back on my old favorites.

I did ask for a drink in Schooner bar once and no one knew how to make it (??). Another time we were listening to a music act and I could only order off of the menu (??). Must have been new bartenders! Or lazy.

[Sea Dog]

CRUISE COMPASS

If anyone is interested in the cruise compass for this sailing, I have scanned and uploaded them to Dropbox so to not take up room here.

 

If you are interested in seeing them and to use as reference if you are on a future Explorer with this itinerary, here is the link. Just download, unzip and enjoy.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6ah7s9kx2r3ogw1/Cruise Compass Explorer Nov 7-14%2C 2021.zip?dl=0

[bobmacliberty]

Great review Greg!  I've been travelling the last few days (details to be posted in Dani's thread) and tried once to reply a few days ago.  My reply never did get posted so I gave up and waited until we got home.  The first thing that I did (after dumping everything from the car on the floor) was to catch up on your review.  It was nice having everything already posted for me...kinda like binge watching a TV show in one sitting.  Loved the pictures, the videos, and the stories.

 

I just heard that Antigua was cancelled for our upcoming April Harmony cruise and was replaced with St. Maarten.  We have only been to Antigua once and were looking forward to going again, so that was a disappointment.  On the plus side though...more Gulmohar's!!!  

[beshears]

I am STILL going through ALL the pages of you and everyone else posting on here.  Now I know why you mentioned Ruth Chris Restaurant in Kansas City, as you either lived, or still do in Lee's Summit. As someone else mentioned, thank you for representing Kansas City too. I am originally from the city part, but over 40 years ago we moved north of the river to Gladstone, which is not to far from our main airport. Since there are 8 of us that were planning on doing our cruise the 9th of January, I have TRIED to get all the information about the ship, etc. I was very concerned, as my one d-i-l has not as yet, done the shots. I just posted to my son (her husband) of the requirements of RCL. I just got a text from her this morning, and she said she was going to do the shots after Thanksgiving, which has made me a happy camper, as it wouldn't be a "family" cruise if she was not with us.

[beshears]

It just dawned on me to ask after I just posted to you a few minutes ago. The MAIN reason I am doing this trip is to go to St. Lucia, which is my favorite port/island and I want my children to see/feel why I enjoyed being at this island. My question, even though I have checked with Cosol tours in St. Lucia, which I have done twice before and they say I should not have any problems, will RCL KEEP us from doing the tour with them, and have to do something through RCL?

[Sea Dog]

25 minutes ago, beshears said:

thank you for representing Kansas City too. I am originally from the city part, but over 40 years ago we moved north of the river to Gladstone, which is not to far from our main airport. Since there are 8 of us that were planning on doing our cruise the 9th of January, I have TRIED to get all the information about the ship, etc. I was very concerned, as my one d-i-l has not as yet, done the shots. I just posted to my son (her husband) of the requirements of RCL. I just got a text from her this morning, and she said she was going to do the shots after Thanksgiving, which has made me a happy camper, as it wouldn't be a "family" cruise if she was not with us.

 

Thank you. I actually grew up north of the river in Platte Woods. Spent most of my life up north. In-a-Tub and Hayes are my favorites.

 

I'm glad your DIL is getting vaccinated. It will make everything so much easier.

 

13 minutes ago, beshears said:

It just dawned on me to ask after I just posted to you a few minutes ago. The MAIN reason I am doing this trip is to go to St. Lucia, which is my favorite port/island and I want my children to see/feel why I enjoyed being at this island. My question, even though I have checked with Cosol tours in St. Lucia, which I have done twice before and they say I should not have any problems, will RCL KEEP us from doing the tour with them, and have to do something through RCL?

 

I loved St. Lucia. As far as tours, things may change by then. When we went last week it had to be a bubble tour with Royal. Plenty of good excursions through Royal. We loved the Coastal Cruise to the Pitons.

[zpdw484]

3 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

CRUISE COMPASS

If anyone is interested in the cruise compass for this sailing, I have scanned and uploaded them to Dropbox so to not take up room here.

 

If you are interested in seeing them and to use as reference if you are on a future Explorer with this itinerary, here is the link. Just download, unzip and enjoy.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6ah7s9kx2r3ogw1/Cruise Compass Explorer Nov 7-14%2C 2021.zip?dl=0

Thanks so much for these. It's great to see the windjammer open for dinner. I noticed it says "reservations required" for the windjammer at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Do they actually enforce this???

[catella02]

I really enjoyed your review. Lots of great pictures. I really liked the video  and music of your special drink.  Remember you  mentioning in other  posts your desire to drink a glass someday. Making it a retirement gift to yourself did make it special.

 

[Sea Dog]

3 hours ago, zpdw484 said:

Thanks so much for these. It's great to see the windjammer open for dinner. I noticed it says "reservations required" for the windjammer at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Do they actually enforce this???

We never did reservations. I don’t think they were enforcing it.

[Sea Dog]

SOME RANDOM SHIP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 20, 2021 by Sea Dog

[Chauncey Picklepants]

Absolutely amazing photos. The ship looks gorgeous.   Anxiously awaiting free exploration and bubble excursions being a thing of the past. 
A side note to anyone contemplating St Thomas “Secret Sands” aka Smith Bay aka Lindquist Beach. All are the same -  They have a sea grass problem often which makes the beach unpredictable. We were three times, once earlier in the week where it was spectacular, and tried twice more including yesterday.  While the beach is indeed gorgeous, yesterday and Thursday it had piles of sea grass on the beach, which is extremely irritating in smell and hard to breathe around.  My suggestion would be stick with Magens Bay Beach while off-ship time is so very precious, can’t go wrong with Magens and no chance of sea grass problems. 

[Sea Dog]

2 hours ago, Chauncey Picklepants said:

A side note to anyone contemplating St Thomas “Secret Sands” aka Smith Bay aka Lindquist Beach. All are the same -  They have a sea grass problem often which makes the beach unpredictable. We were three times, once earlier in the week where it was spectacular, and tried twice more including yesterday.  

 

It was clean and no sea grass problem what so ever when we were there on November 8th. It was beautiful.

 

[Chauncey Picklepants]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

 

It was clean and no sea grass problem what so ever when we were there on November 8th. It was beautiful.

 

Yes.  I’m letting others know that it is not a guarantee.  It was piled high yesterday and the day before it looked like the attached photo. We didn’t get shots of the beach the days we didn’t stay, just drove up and looked quick before paying.
 

Same with Sapphire and Cowpet beach.  Had we cruised, the day we would have been here this past Monday, we had planned to hit Sapphire or Lindquist and it would have been a bust. Magens Bay and Brewers Beach as well as all of the St John beaches we have hit so far have been seagrass free. There is an ongoing sargassum problem in the Caribbean.
 

https://theconversation.com/whats-driving-the-huge-blooms-of-brown-seaweed-piling-up-on-florida-and-caribbean-beaches-163058