We’re Baaaaack!!! Live from the Regal Princess- B2B2B- 11.24.21 to 12.9.21

[ProfMHC]

OMG I can’t believe your B2B2B  blog got by me all this time! Had to quickly binge read all ten pages today and loved catching up. Super cruising and outstanding blog.

 

So you ran into Fungirl and PC. I’ve yet to meet her (them) IRL but hope to do so one day!  She’s priceless. She assures me that you and I are sisters from another mother. Both of us described as being highly organized, unbelievably structured, and incredibly detail oriented.  (Those not so well evolved as FG might use the term OCD but I suspect they’re just jealous!)

 

Still land bound here but hoping to sail away in January on the Ruby. In the meantime, now that I’ve found you, I’ll just have to live vicariously through your blog!

[sirclean]

You have mentioned doing laundry a time or 2.  As it seems you are Elite, dont you use the free laundry service?  

[TracieABD]

1 hour ago, ProfMHC said:

OMG I can’t believe your B2B2B  blog got by me all this time! Had to quickly binge read all ten pages today and loved catching up. Super cruising and outstanding blog.

 

So you ran into Fungirl and PC. I’ve yet to meet her (them) IRL but hope to do so one day!  She’s priceless. She assures me that you and I are sisters from another mother. Both of us described as being highly organized, unbelievably structured, and incredibly detail oriented.  (Those not so well evolved as FG might use the term OCD but I suspect they’re just jealous!)

 

Still land bound here but hoping to sail away in January on the Ruby. In the meantime, now that I’ve found you, I’ll just have to live vicariously through your blog!

Thank you for your kind words!  I do love me a spreadsheet!

 

I love how we build community through these sites!  
 

I hope you find your way to sea soon!

[TracieABD]

18 minutes ago, sirclean said:

You have mentioned doing laundry a time or 2.  As it seems you are Elite, dont you use the free laundry service?  

I have certain clothes that I never send to the ship’s laundry.  They have been known to wash and dry on very high heat…. I have some pieces that require cold water wash.  

[TracieABD]

Hi fun friends… 

I have a little dilemma.  I write my blog on my iPad and right now, my iPad will not connect to the Medallion-net.  I am going to have to chat with the Techies tomorrow.   I am writing, so as soon as I can get connected- I will post my latest entries.  
 

I find it difficult to write a full blog entry in a phone… but I can still answer questions and chat from the phone. 
 

❤️

[caribill]

12 hours ago, TracieABD said:

 

I am not sure how all of the ships are handling transit passengers.  I personally liked being tested the day before turnaround. It made sense.  

 

Likely the reason they stopped doing it.

[TracieABD]

December 5, 2021

Day 14

Day at Sea

 

Meet the New Blog; Same as the Old Blog

 

Hi friends-

 

Sometimes there is just not as much to report... Because this is the third lap around the pool... today really was a repeat of the previous two cruises.

 

I woke up slowly- to coffee- procured by Jon. He is the “coffee hero”. He went to breakfast in Sabatini’s. I slept. More. Because, cruising is exhausting.

 

We finally made our way to the Sanctuary. It was so windy up there that the wind worked as a white noise machine. Who knows if we had loud talkers... you couldn’t hear them over the wind.

 

We decided to do the Medallion Poker Run... which is sort of like a bar crawl. You visit 5 bars and check in. You get a virtual card at each check in and then at the end you submit your hand. We are pretty sure that Jon won with a full house. I ended with a pair of jacks. We are not sure what he won- nor do we really care. It was fun, but one and done.

 

On our way around the ship, we stopped for a couple of tacos at the grill. They were delish. Then back to the Sanctuary to “sanctuate”. (Yep, I made that word up all by myself).

 

I headed down a bit before Jon to get a load of delicates washed. Its the sort cruises and the low number of Elites... laundry has a 24 hour turn around. The laundry rooms have been completely vacant.

 

It was formal night. I actually saw a lot of suits and tuxes. Quite surprising for a short Caribbean. Dinner was excellent. We are loving the onion soup. However, it may not be loving us. Jon had the CC extra selection- Lobster Thermador. They brought him two. And had a third on deck. So. Much. Food.

 

Because of the low number of passengers, they are only doing one large show a night. Tonight was Bravo! again. Still well sung. I really appreciate the sopranos in this production. Lots of talent. But the performance was poorly attended. I wound if this affects the performers- who are pretty used to fully seated shows.

 

We also attended the Marriage Match game. Again, there were such a low number of people. The long-termers (49 years) were absolutely adorable and completely in synch. I love when that happens! Natalie, the cruise director, is really charming- effervescent- really. It is a joy to watch her interact. And she is EVERYWHERE! She is doing a great job of planning great activities for such a low number of passengers.

 

And that was it... Bed for me and Jon wandered the ship a bit.

 

Anyone want to split the Norman Love dessert?

 

Thank you for following along!

More later-

TL

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by TracieABD

[Coral]

18 minutes ago, TracieABD said:

 

 

Because of the low number of passengers, they are only doing one large show a night. Tonight was Bravo! again. Still well sung. I really appreciate the sopranos in this production. Lots of talent. But the performance was poorly attended. I wound if this affects the performers- who are pretty used to fully seated shows.

 

Tracie - what time is the one show each night? Glad you were able to take these cruises and get away!

[TracieABD]

December 6, 2021

Day 15

Amber Cove, DR

 

A Day Late and A Dollar Short

 

Hi friends-

 

The problem with internet difficulties is that I can get really lazy... and then I get behind in the whole blogging ordeal. Then, I am just playing catch up (not playing in ketchup- that would be gross).

 

As I have said a few times, the ship is the destination for us, so we decided not to get off of the big, big boat in Amber Cove. I had a very quiet day- bouncing between the cabin and the Sanctuary. Jon spent his whole day in the Sanctuary.

 

I also needed a “fasting” day, which means protein shakes with water and water and more water and so much water. Even for someone who tends to be a very moderate eater who plans meals, etc... It is so easy to over-indulge on a ship- and then to do it for 12 days straight- welp, you can just imagine.

 

I also knew that we had a huge meal planned in Sabatini’s (our second venture there), which of the two venues, is my favorite. By 6 pm, I was so ready to eat. I donned my new favorite outfit- my big blue onesie ( it is a navy blue jumpsuit- I just like calling it a onesie). If you have never met me in person, I almost always wear some iteration of navy blue... which may be boring to some, but works for me. Back to the onesie... It has zero room for forgiveness- meaning that when I wear it AND I eat- I am living dangerously- one extra inch and the whole zipper could blow out! I know, I know... living life on the edge.

 

We have gotten to know the Sabatini’s staff throughout the cruises. They are so fun and affable. We got Sonal as our waiter, which is awesome, but during the course of the meal- the whole staff rolled by. We started with the prosciutto and the fried bread thingies (yep, that is the technical name for them- just check the menu- seriously - it says “thingies”- OK. Maybe not.). We both had the delicious cheese soup. If you decided to try Sabatini’s, don’t be put off my the name- as it is listed as fondue- however, it is actually a broth-based soup. It is light and flavorful. I had the Italian meat and olives as an app. The meats were mortadella and salami. I am usually not a huge fan of mortadella, but this was exceptionally tasty. Jon has the calamari- which he said is the best he has ever had. I tried the beef pappardelle and Jon had the carbonara. Both were great- however, the carbonara has cream in it... so it is not truly authentic- which may be a “food safety” thing. IYKYK. For the main course, I had the chicken scallopini and Jon had the veal. My dish was so light- and I feel after all of the other heavier food- I chose extremely well. Jon had the Rocher for dessert- which is a Normal Love. I had the panna cotta. I just love panna cotta- it is my most favorite dessert EVER! The meal was delicious and the service impeccable. It will be hard to say goodbye to this crew.

 

And that was it... I was done. No trivia. No production show. No tea in the Piazza. No walk around the ship. Done. As in “fork-stuck” done. I went to bed. And laid there like an overstuffed beach whale... plus, I had to get out of that onesie before we had “an indecent incident”!

 

Anyone want to go for a really long walk to offset some of these calories?!?!

 

Thank you for following along!

More later-

TL

 

 

[TracieABD]

20 minutes ago, Coral said:

Tracie - what time is the one show each night? Glad you were able to take these cruises and get away!

Because of the low number of passengers, there has been only one show- at 9 pm.

[TracieABD]

December 7, 2021

Day - oh... who the heck knows...

 

Final Day at Sea

 

Hi friends-

 

As you may have figured out... our lives have been righted... as in the internet has been restored. More on that in a bit.

 

The day began like almost every day... with the tinkle of ice cubes as my coffee is being delivered by my amazing husband! We had big, big morning plans!

 

Last night, at Sabatini’s, we got to chatting with our waitstaff- who are from India. I have spent a little time in Northern India- but really love the food of Southern India (yum... uthapaam and dosa). Sonal made a deal with me- if I make it down for breakfast in Sabatini’s, he would make an Indian breakfast for me. DEAL. I was all in.

 

He was prepared when we walked in. I never even opened the menu- I just left it up to him- and I am so glad I did. I had an Indian omelette (more like a frittata) with tomatoes, onions, and chili peppers. This was served with white toast- which is needed to offset the spice. Between the amazingly delicious omelette and my “special” (read high maintenance) coffee... I was all set for the day.

 

After breakfast, we headed to see the folks at the Medallion App desk. Medallion Man! (Say it in your best Mighty Mouse voice) He tried to get the internet up and running- but could not. He sent us down to the Internet Guy- who let us know that sometimes there is an issue with the internet moving from booking to booking. He restored our access in about 3 minutes! He wins “hero of the day”. So this is what I learned... and I might not be 100% accurate- If it is a problem with the dot- (e.g. opening the cabin door)- go to the Passenger Service Desk. If it is a problem with the Medallion App- go to see Medallion Man! If it is a problem with connectivity to the internet- Go see Internet Guy. Of course, you all probably know this already... we had to learn the hard way. Anyhoo- the issue is resolved and internet is restored! WooHoo!

 

I headed up to the Sanctuary to lallygag (I think that is one of the technical terms for what one should do in the Sanctuary- the other term being “sanctuate”) and to swim. It is a hot day today- so I am pretty sure I am going to bounce between the lounger and the pool. Lounger-Pool- Repeat.

 

We have dinner scheduled for the Crown Grill tonight- going to make another stab at it. Other than that- not a whole lot going on... Did I mention— Lounger. Pool. Repeat. ?

 

Anyone want to spray some sunscreen on my back?

 

Thank you for following along-

More later-

TL

[eyelash]

23 hours ago, TracieABD said:

 

 

For the life of me, I cannot get it figured out.  I have tried screenshotting and posting to no avail.  I am sorry.  I just don’t think I can make it happen.  

Thank you so much for trying, don't give it another thought!

[L11]

Tracie, first of all thank you SO much for doing this blog. I am having a great time following along in preparation for our first cruise since "the before times". We leave Saturday.

 

This leads me to a question. You extended your cruise by a week while onboard. We are toying with doing the same. Was there any kind of deal offered onboard to add on the cruise? The cruise that follows ours would be a nice add on for us but it seems awfully expensive. If they offer us a break on the price though, we would be up for it. Any info you are willing to share would be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance and enjoy sanctuating.

 

Linda

[TracieABD]

50 minutes ago, L11 said:

Tracie, first of all thank you SO much for doing this blog. I am having a great time following along in preparation for our first cruise since "the before times". We leave Saturday.

 

This leads me to a question. You extended your cruise by a week while onboard. We are toying with doing the same. Was there any kind of deal offered onboard to add on the cruise? The cruise that follows ours would be a nice add on for us but it seems awfully expensive. If they offer us a break on the price though, we would be up for it. Any info you are willing to share would be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance and enjoy sanctuating.

 

Linda

Not a cent.  We paid full price for the 3rd cruise.  The only convenience was not having to pack up and go home!  We had quite a bit of FCC from the pause and many cancelled cruises… so we dug into that a little bit! It was worth it!

[TracieABD]

1 hour ago, eyelash said:

Thank you so much for trying, don't give it another thought!

❤️

[L11]

Thanks for the info, Tracie!

 

Linda

[TracieABD]

31 minutes ago, L11 said:

Thanks for the info, Tracie!

 

Linda

You are most welcome!  I hope you have a fabulous cruise (or cruises😉)!

[TracieABD]

December 7, 2021

Day 16- Part 2

Sea Day

 

Second Time is a Charm

 

Hi friends-

 

I spent the whole day in the Sanctuary. I actually only left to swim. Jon was a bit more back and forth. We were both really struggling with the whole food thing. This is just so much food.

 

At Afternoon Tea, we both ate a scone. As the days go on, we are trying to eat less and less. This has been met with minimal success. We both know we were facing another huge meal in the Crown Grill.

 

I left the Sanctuary at 5:15 and headed down to the cabin to shower and change. Our dinner reservation was for 6:30. We both decided we did not need to eat all of the course. We both started with the beef tartar. It was perfect. If you get nervous about this sort of thing, you can ask to have it seared, but we did not. Next was the salad course. For our mains, Jon had the lobster and I ordered the veal chop (don’t judge). The veal was delicious- but huge. It was cooked a perfect medium rare. Jon and I ate most of it, but did I mention that it was huge? We skipped dessert- only to find it in our cabin later in the evening.

 

We drank a pot of tea in the Piazza and played cards as we waited for the “big show” in the Princess Theater- which ended up being a magician. Not our thing- but he was fun and lively and very, very silly.

 

After that, we headed on up to the cabin. We were both pretty restless- and neither of us slept really well. Boo. But it is like that sometimes. There will always be another time to sleep- like in the Sanctuary!

 

That is about it...

 

Anyone want to share this dessert with us?

 

Thank you for following along-

More later-

TL

[JF - retired RRT]

46 minutes ago, TracieABD said:

Anyone want to share this dessert with us?

 

IDK...what did they bring you?

I'm picky that way.😉

[TracieABD]

1 hour ago, JF - retired RRT said:

IDK...what did they bring you?

I'm picky that way.😉

Hmmmm.... Chocolate cake and some Norman Love dessert....

BYOF (bring your own fork)

[JF - retired RRT]

20 minutes ago, TracieABD said:

Hmmmm.... Chocolate cake and some Norman Love dessert....

BYOF (bring your own fork)

I'd prefer using a scoop.🤣

[geoherb]

On 12/5/2021 at 10:29 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

Without reading through the first 10 pages, have you by chance shared what the average internet speed has been on the Regal during this cruise?

 

I'm currently on the Caribbean Princess. It was fast enough I could stream a hockey game last night. It had small glitches, that got a few minutes behind real time. I'd catch up in the breaks by reloading the page. 

[Cruise frenzy]

5 hours ago, TracieABD said:

Hmmmm.... Chocolate cake and some Norman Love dessert....

BYOF (bring your own fork)

Tracie Lynn and Jon .. it was a real pleasure to meet you.  We ate our way through the Crown Grill tonight- sorry we missed your call.

Thank you for making the Walgreens run for Ken - we both appreciate your kindness.

Sure hope our travel paths cross again.  In the meantime, stay well and happy.  Safe travels home.  Ken and Patti

 

[TracieABD]

7 minutes ago, Cruise frenzy said:

Tracie Lynn and Jon .. it was a real pleasure to meet you.  We ate our way through the Crown Grill tonight- sorry we missed your call.

Thank you for making the Walgreens run for Ken - we both appreciate your kindness.

Sure hope our travel paths cross again.  In the meantime, stay well and happy.  Safe travels home.  Ken and Patti

 

Hey Patti- we loved meeting you and Ken.  
We have many bottles of water, both flat and sparkling.  Would you like us to bring them to your cabin?

 

❤️

TL

[Cruise frenzy]

50 minutes ago, TracieABD said:

Hey Patti- we loved meeting you and Ken.  
We have many bottles of water, both flat and sparkling.  Would you like us to bring them to your cabin?

 

❤️

TL