ELATED to finally cruise again…on the ELATION. A review!

[CeleBrat]

One of the things I like to do is bring a Tervis tumbler onboard the ship so that I can have a mid afternoon iced coffee, made from ice cream and coffee.  So good! 
 

 

I also cannot resist having a salty midafternoon snack:  Guy’s fries of course.  With chiplte mayo!  I always have to convince the Guy’s guys to “please, please, please just give me a small amount of fries.”  By the last day of the cruise, the one guy “Beaver” knew me and would ask me if it was “fry time” yet when I would walk by.

 

 

I spent some time that afternoon wandering and enjoying the view, and marveling at the late-afternoon sun.

 

 

[CeleBrat]



Soon enough, it was time for dinner again. 
 

 

My husband and I spent quite a bit of time discussing where exactly to eat because we have an ongoing “disagreement” regarding cruise habits.  He HATES, HATES, HATES Elegant Night, aka “fancy night”, as he HATES to dress up.  I, on the other hand, don’t mind it, and would gladly dress up all the time.  I LOVE clothing, and have far too much of it, and he hates even thinking about what to wear.  I actually brought along 3 dressy outfits and 5 casual/jeans-based outfits, all just for evening use.  My husband just rolled his eyes at my overstuffed suitcase options.

 

So.  Given that it was the dreaded “fancy night” we were at a bit of an impasse.  I really, really, really wanted to have prime rib, which was available in the dining room.  But he is lackadaisical about it.  He also suggested that we go to the dreaded “fancy night” with him wearing jeans and a polo shirt.  “No one will care!” he says.

 

Me.  I care.

 

So, we found a good solution.  We checked the Lido menu at 6 when I opened to see what was aviailable, and if prime rib was available there, we’d eat at the buffet.  If not, off to the dining room with him appropriately dressed.

 

Luckily for him, prime rib WAS featured in the Lido!

 

But, I negotiated one additional requirement.  If we visited the Lido, then he’d also have to play backgammon with me.  He agreed.  And he required that I wear jeans.  Done!

 

 

But I was in my element.  Board games and prime rib.  THE BEST!

 

And I may have just taken advantage of the all-you-can-eat option of the buffet by having a 2nd helping of prime rib. It was so juicy!

 

 

 

Desserts were so-so at the Lido for dinner. Despite there being glorious cakes at lunch, dinner usually featured an assortment of cream-based items. I had the Coffee/Cream “pie” seen here. It was…OK.

 

[CeleBrat]

Lido and dining room menus here:

 

[CeleBrat]

DAY 3--AMBER COVE

 

 

The next morning, I was up fairly early again.  Comfy “hard” bed and all.  And, call me a nerd, but I like to watch the ship pull into port.  It’s so exciting to catch those first glimpses of a new locale.

 

Upon arriving on deck, I could see the Dominican Republic in the distance, but it was still to far to actively stand and watch.
 

 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2021 by CeleBrat

[CeleBrat]

So first, breakfast.  Sensible oatmeal and fruit, with a non-sensible chocolate muffin and a lovely  sea view.  This time I chose to sit on one of those small patios on the rear of the Lido dining room, overlooking Serenity.

 

 

Eventually, we got close enough for the pilot, or shall I say “piloto”  to join us.

 

 

And eventually we got close enough to see the land in detail.  Much like when a plane lands, things become more clear the closer you get to land.

 

[CeleBrat]

Although the Elation arrived in port at 10:30am, we had no plans, and decided that we would eat lunch prior to getting off and exploring Amber Cove. 
 

So, while everyone was rushing around queueing up for shore excursions and whatnot, we sat on deck and played cards.

 

 

And of course, promptly ate lunch at noon so we could disembark.  My goal for this cruise was to eat different lunch food every day. So, I opted for Quatrofromaggio pizza and salad. The pizza was cooked fresh, and was nice and crispy. My husband had yet another Guy’s burger.

 

 

And cake. Lots of cake.

 

 

Meanwhile, when we returned to our cabin to prepare to disembark, we took a moment to enjoy to view from the portholes. Don’t knock a porthole cabin!!!

 

 

Edited November 21, 2021 by CeleBrat

[RedbirdFLCruiser]

Thanks so much for the updates, pictures, and especially the menus! I will have to wait 5 days to read the remainder of your review because hubby and I leave our house in just a few hours to board the Elation! Your review made me doubly excited about our trip! 😀

[Can'tWait2SetSail]

Loving your review!

[carolinablue704]

This is without a doubt one of the most thorough and highly entertaining review threads I have ever had the pleasure to read!  We sail on the Pride over Christmas, and reading through your Elation review has been a great way to pass the time as we countdown the days, so thank you so much for taking the time to do so!

[Knights on the Beach]

On 11/20/2021 at 6:40 AM, RedbirdFLCruiser said:

Thanks for the review! Looking forward to reading more and seeing more pictures, because we sail on the Elation on Monday! Like you, we live fairly close to the port. We're getting our Covid tests done today at Walgreens.

Just saw Elation head out of Port Canaveral - have a great cruise!

 

 

[AKR2011]

I love reading your review. DH and I also spend a lot of time playing games at sea together. It's all about quality time and making memories together. Looking forward to more soon 😊

[CeleBrat]

On 11/22/2021 at 7:19 AM, RedbirdFLCruiser said:

Thanks so much for the updates, pictures, and especially the menus! I will have to wait 5 days to read the remainder of your review because hubby and I leave our house in just a few hours to board the Elation! Your review made me doubly excited about our trip! 😀

Have the BEST time!

20 hours ago, carolinablue704 said:

This is without a doubt one of the most thorough and highly entertaining review threads I have ever had the pleasure to read!  We sail on the Pride over Christmas, and reading through your Elation review has been a great way to pass the time as we countdown the days, so thank you so much for taking the time to do so!

Aw, thanks! It’s been a long time since I’ve done one. 

 

On 11/22/2021 at 9:04 AM, Can'tWait2SetSail said:

Loving your review!

Glad you’re enjoying it!

[rmh661983]

Loving your review and am living vicariously through you until my cruise on her on Dec 16th.

[CeleBrat]

17 hours ago, rmh661983 said:

Loving your review and am living vicariously through you until my cruise on her on Dec 16th.

Glad you're enjoying it, and finding something to keep you looking forward to your upcoming cruise.

 

Posting some more shortly...

[CeleBrat]

Satisfied after eating yet another tasty lunch, we gathered up our things and ventured off the ship.  Oddly, the ELATION wasn’t using facial recognition, as our S&S cards were still scanned getting off/on the ship.

 

Anyhow, off we went!

 

I LOVE the first sight of the cruise ship once you get off at the first port, and it always fascinates me that it’s essentially a giant building that has been floated across the ocean to get to that point, and is now docked beside a tiny concrete dock.  Physics!

 

And despite the fact that I’ve been 45 other cruises, I still can’t help but take photos of the ship.  
 

 

Also, I marvel at the safety signage, which seems to work quite well. Yet here in the US you’d totally have people ignoring it.

 

 

Also on the dock, Covid safety signage. At this time, face masks are still required while outside.

 

[CeleBrat]

Our plans for Amber Cove were...naught.  I am a seasoned cruiser and copious planner (much to the chagrin of my family), but given the last-minute nature of the cruise, and dubiousness of Covid logistics, we opted just to stroll around the port area. In full disclosure, we’ve been to the Dominican Republic many times on past trips, and have rafted, ziplined, eco-explored to our hearts content!  But, Amber Cove was a new stop for us.

 

First things first...a ride on a pedi-cab from the dock to the shopping center.  It’s a quick ride, and there are many pedi-cabbers going to and fro.  We hopped a ride with #7.

 

 

The rides are free, so be sure to tip your hard-working pedi cab cyclist!

[CeleBrat]

I’m fairly certain that almost everyone here on this site is aware, but Amber Cove is a “Carnival built” port.  So, it was no surprise to us that it was very similar to the “Carnival built” ports at Grand Turk and Roatan.  Shopping village, pool, palm trees, fun signage, etc.  

 

The shopping village had the same assortment of stores:  Diamonds International, Duty Free, Del Sol, pharmacy...But the ONE DIFFERENCE today:  the shopping area was nearly deserted, and half the shops were shuttered.  #thanksCovid
 

But, we still walked around and spent a little money.  I enjoyed the tiny “straw market”-like area, which had about 10 different vendors hawking the standard Dominican Republic (made in China) souvenirs.  Despite the same-old plastic merchandise, there was one vendor who offered handmade ornaments and wood signage.  Definitely NOT made in China, and definitely worth purchasing!
 

 

My husband spent time “holding down” the nearby benches.
 

 

There was an informational kiosk featuring an informative history of the country and lots of maps.  We also got our passports stamped there.

 

[CeleBrat]

And of course, the iconic AMBER COVE sign!  You can tell how empty it is there by the fact that there aren't any other people in our picture.
 

 

It’s a pretty little shopping village, with a picturesque tableau of the ship parked nearby.

 

 

[CeleBrat]

We also discovered the nearly-deserted taxi area, and took a moment to appreciate the pretty ceiling architecture.
 

 

Shopping village tour completed, so we wandered over the pool area next.  And what we saw there made us sad...there was literally NO ONE THERE!  A giant port-side pool and water slide, sitting there practically empty. SERIOUSLY!  #thanksCOVID
 

 

Pool?  Empty.

 

Need a chair?  Pic one, or two, or put your stuff down on 12 of them!  They are all EMPTY!

 

[CeleBrat]

My husband struck up a conversation with one of the servers, asking about what it’s been like  The server was thankful to be working, but lamented that at times (like today) that business was still not good.  
 

 

While they chatted, I wandered around taking more pics.

 

[CeleBrat]

Love the handmade recycling bins.

 

 

Covid signage is prevalent!

 

 

The view was amazing!

 

 

If there is an oversized lawn chair in a tourist area, then you MUST take your picture on it.  It is a tacky tourist rule!  And note once again, the lack of people nearby.  I didn’t have to fight anyone to jump up into the chair and get a pic!

 

[CeleBrat]

It was a lovely leisurely afternoon wandering around, but eventually we headed back to the ship. 

 

 

All of the pedicab drivers were waiting at the exit to the store to shuttle us back.  But we called out “Where’s #7????”  And he smiled, and quickly pedaled over to us.
 

[CeleBrat]

Once onboard, we grabbed some frosty ice water, and settled in to watch sailway from the aft Lido deck.  The sunset provided some stunning photos prior to departure.

 

 

 

And as we sailed away, the night time view of the port was lovely.  
 

[CeleBrat]

After perusing the dinner menus, we opted to have dinner in the dining room, since there was no dreaded “dress code” that would scare my husband off.  

 

 

The beef tenderloin was very good. Dare I say *almost* as good as the prime rib from the previous day? And the fried mozzarella sticks were AMAZING!  My husband deemed that meal the “best one of the cruise!”  

I disagreed as the dessert options were subpar.  We actually didn’t even order dessert, and instead opted to head up to the Lido and have whatever they were serving for dessert while playing cards.  Sadly, I don’t even remember what it was, as it was so-so.  We sat in the very rear of the buffet, near the slanted windows, which made for a fun reflective photo op.  
 

 

Back in the room, a towel animal awaited us.  And much like the previous rule about oversized chair photographs, if there is a towel animal on the bed, you must take his photo! And this time I took the photo WITH a face mask, to remember the uniqueness of a pandemic cruise.

 

 

And so ends another fun-filled day aboard the ELATION.

[SenatorsFan]

It's so nice to read another one of your reviews! I'm really enjoying all your pictures, too. 😍