"LIVE" from Symphony of the Seas - Sept. 29, 2024 (B2B)

[Radio]

12 hours ago, MD_Dan said:

OK Radio, I'll start the questions!

 

We've sailed RCL about 12 times but never out of Bayonne.  Compare and contrast Bayonne from Florida ports.

 

I suspect

- More expensive NY/NJ hotels (although Miami may be higher)

- NY vibe is different from a Florida vibe

- No outrageous air fare but a reasonable drive.  Was parking expensive?

- You no doubt sailed out of Baltimore.  Is the Statue of Liberty visible?  Compare it to sailing past Fort McHenry.

- What is happening on the pool deck during the first and last days when temperatures are cooler?

 

And talk to me about that NASA hat!  I'm a GSFC employee.

The parking cost is $30 per day. This is much less than the Manhattan Cruise pier. (For Norwegian, Carnival, and other Cruise lines) 

 

The parking garage at Cape Liberty can be used if you have a handicap placard, or if you are a consecutive cruiser. Others can park in the parking lot.

After 1:00 p.m. all passengers can use the parking garage. The Statue of Liberty can be viewed clearly when it is not cloudy and raining. There was not a good view of her today.

 

The NASA cap and me kind of go together. I am a big fan, and I can barely be seen without wearing my NASA cap. I heard more than several of them. 

 

Radio

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Edited September 30 by Radio

[Radio]

Cruise Compass 

DAY 2

 

Radio

 

 

 

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[Radio]

Hello everyone and good morning. Welcome to DAY 2 of "LIVE" from Symphony of the Seas.

 

My worst nights for cruising is the night before a cruise and the  last night of a cruise . Last night,  I slept like a baby. I think I fell asleep within one minute of my head hitting the pillow . It was wonderful. 

 

I knew I would wake up early because I went down very early. But that's OK, as I felt like I had the ship to myself because most passengers were down for the count.

 

I visited the Crown Lounge on Deck 4, and Cafe Promenade on Deck 5. There was quiet and there was coffee. When it is early on a cruise ship those are the two things that matter the most. It reminds me of a famous Clint Eastwood quote: " A man must have his priorities"

 

I  haven't really decided what to do today as yet, but there is a good chance I will go to the Port and Shopping tour, and maybe have some lunch.

 

I am positively sure that this afternoon I will watch news. Most Radio fans know, but for those of you who have not followed along with my LIVE posts should know that "watching news" simply means taking a nap.

Here are a few pics from this morning.

 

Thanks for tuning in. 

 

Radio

 

Crown Lounge early this morning.Deck 4

 

 

 

 

 

Cafe Promenade on Deck 5 is open 24 hours a day.

 

 

 

Starbucks on Deck 5. Royal Promenade.

 

 

 

I will be visiting here a few times this week. 

 

 

 

This looks yummy . . .

 

 

 

 

The UNBOXED store on Deck 15 is very nice.

 

 

 

 

These machines are filled with personal items, toiletries, electrical accessories, headphones, Baseball Cards?

 

 

 

Early morning exterior image of the Suite Lounge and Coastal Kitchen on Deck 17.

 

 

 

Very funny . . .

 

 

.

 

Edited Monday at 04:51 PM by Radio

[Another_Critic]

26 minutes ago, Radio said:

Starbucks on Deck 5. Royal Promenade.

 

 

I will be visiting here a few times this week. 

 

FYI - Drink packages and drink [aka Diamond] vouchers are not valid at the Starbucks Kiosk.  However, you can use Starbucks gift cards (or SeaPass).

 

Drink packages and drink vouchers are valid at other venues serving Starbucks coffee.

[Radio]

Passenger Count for this sailing is 6396.

 

1212 of those are children.

 

Radio

 

 

 

[ecslady]

4 minutes ago, Radio said:

Passenger Count for this sailing is 6396.

 

1212 of those are children.

 

Radio

 

 

 

 

A number of public schools here in NJ have off Oct 3 & 4 for the Jewish holidays. Could account for what I think is a lot of kids since schools here just started a few weeks ago,

[puggylicious]

We sailed on 9-15 and I would say there were that many children as well. We were told by staff members that kids do virtual learning while on board.  I think gone are the days when there were not many school age kids sailing when school starts. 

[Radio]

Hello everyone and good evening. Today was a wonderful day at sea. I was able to see something that I haven't viewed in a few days. Sunny skies. Yes, our first day at sea was sunny skies for most of the day. It felt wonderful. 

 

I forgot to post something this morning that I should have suggested. The Park Cafe in Central Park has expanded. It is not quite double the size as I remember on Oasis of the Seas, but it is much, much larger. I think that where the library used to be in Central Park is now included in the Park Cafe. The Park Cafe holds a lot of passengers both inside and in the courtyard. It is a delightful area and I plan to go there often this week. 

 

Passengers were out and about up on the pool deck. It was very crowded with hundreds of passengers. There were a sea of passengers up on decks 15 and 16 for most of the day. The Perfect Storm slides were packed all day as well. There was a Caribbean band playing on Deck 15 that sounded very nice. 

 

I was able to enjoy dinner tonight at Solarium Bistro.

I was not aware of that reservations are suggested for dinner time. You can just walk in for breakfast and lunch with no worries. The service was buffet style, but not very much "Windjammer Marketplace style" I had beef brisket and an Asian stir fry bowl. It was delightful. 

 

I will try Casino Royale again tonight, and I believe there is a show at the AquaTheater that I would like to see.

 

The Captain suggested that we would be picking up the pilot at about 11:15 am tomorrow morning. We are expected to dock at CT-1 in Port Canaveral by noon.

 

Here are a few pics from today. Thanks for tuning in. 

 

Radio

 

A view over the bow 

 

 

Passengers having fun

 

 

 

 

SplashAway Bay (L) and the Sports Pool (R)

 

 

 

SplashAway Bay was busy today.

 

 

These drinks looked very good

 

 

I loved the foliage in Central Park

 

 

 

I may be dining here next week. 

 

 

 

The crown Lounge is often very serene.I like it 

 

 

 

Solarium Bistro for dinner. 

 

 

I could not decide on a dessert, so I chose 2. Oops. . .

 

 

.

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 12:20 AM by Radio

[Radio]

Cruise Compass DAY 3

 

Radio

 

 

 

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[buffet24]

20 hours ago, Radio said:

I went down very early

 

Do you mean to tell me you missed this on the first night ??? 🤩🤩🤩

(But I know what you mean... I was tired as hell that night too right after this...🤪)

 

 

[Radio]

Good morning and Welcome to DAY 3 of "LIVE" from Symphony of the Seas. 

We are currently about 40nm from Port Canaveral. We are scheduled to dock at 1:00 pm., but it appears that we may be there by noon. We should be docked at Cruise Terminal 1. (Currently, the home port of Wonder of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas)

We are the only ship scheduled to be in Port Canaveral today. We will only be about 3 miles from Cocoa Beach, and 1 mile to Jetty Park. Cruise Terminal 1 is right next to Grills Seafood and Tiki Bar, and I will be going there for a nice Hurricane burger. I haven't fully decided, but I might take an Uber into Cocoa Beach.

 

The forecast today is for sunny skies for a few hours, then we may see rain on and off for the rest of the day. The temperature should be around 87F.

 

I went to StudioB last night to view the ICE Show "1977". It was a great show that I have not seen. It was very good and I give it a big "Thumbs up Radio approval" you won't be disappointed. 

 

There are a few pics from last night and this morning. 

Thanks for tuning in.

Radio

 

StudioB on Deck 4

 

 

Ice show "1977"

 

 

 

They were great dancers. 

 

She danced like a professional. 

 

 

"Diamonds are Forever" Ice dance.

 

 

 

 

Cruise terminals in Port Canaveral. 

 

 

 

Jetty Park Beach is very close. 

 

 

 

We should be arriving soon.

 

 

.

 

[Radio]

There were many Aerial Drones, as part of the show that were fun to watch. At the end, they flew into a few boxes on the ice.

 

Radio

 

 

 

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[wolfganghowell]

I can't believe it's been 2 years since a Royal Radio Report.  WOW.  Good to have you back

[Radio]

25 minutes ago, wolfganghowell said:

I can't believe it's been 2 years since a Royal Radio Report.  WOW.  Good to have you back

Haha. . .  I've done many other "LIVE's" They were with MSC, NCL, and Princess. Thanks for your support. 😀

[Radio]

Hello everyone and good day. Today was a very nice, and very sunny day. At least most of it was a very sunny day. The skies became very dark around 5pm, and lightning storms came through the Space Coast.

It is now raining very hard and will continue to rain when we leave Port Canaveral at 8:00 p.m. 

 

I left the ship around 1pm and went over to Grills Seafood and Tiki Bar in Port Canaveral. Girls is literally right next to Cruise Terminal 1. They are famous (at least, locally) for their Grill's Hurricane Burger.

 

I also went to Fishlips Grill, which is just a block west of Grills. Fishlips is where most people have viewed the Port Canaveral webcam that shows cruise ships coming into port and leaving. 

 

My last stop was at Sunrise Dive Surf Shop. This is a type of convenience store that also sells fishing, diving and beach supplies. There are plenty of t-shirts, hats, slides. There is a lot of food, beverage, and personal supplies sold here.  

 

I did not go to Cocoa Beach or Jetty Park, but that may be an option for another day.  Here are a few pics from today.

 

Thanks for tuning in. 

 

Radio

 

Approaching Port Canaveral.

 

 

 

 

I left the ship around 1pm

 

 

 

The upper level of Cruise Terminal 1.

 

 

 

 

The ship is very close. 

 

 

 

Grill's Seafood and Tiki Bar.

 

 

 

This is a very nice place to have lunch and cold drink.

 

 

 

 

Ocean Obsession Bar 

 

 

 

Let us "Cook your Catch"

 

 

 

 

Oops, I ended up on the Sunrise Marina Webcam.

 

 

Charter fish cleaning station. . .

 

 

 

 

Yes, I am a Pro Surfer . . . (In my dreams)

 

 

 

Sunrise Dive Surf Shop

 

 

 

This place has everything.

 

 

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[Sea Dog]

2 hours ago, Radio said:

Grill's Seafood and Tiki Bar.

 

Did you happen to get the Shark Bites kabob? It's amazing.

[Radio]

5 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Did you happen to get the Shark Bites kabob? It's amazing.

No, Sea Dog. I saw many people order them. Maybe next time. 

 

Radio

[Radio]

Cruise Compass

DAY 4

 

Radio

 

 

 

 

 

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[Radio]

Complimentary Dining on Symphony of the Seas.

 

Radio

 

 

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[A&L_Ont]

11 hours ago, Radio said:

Yes, I am a Pro Surfer . . . (In my dreams)

 

Great to see you ride the tube.  Expert for sure. 👍 

Edited Wednesday at 12:12 PM by A&L_Ont

[Radio]

Good morning and Welcome to DAY 4 of "LIVE" from Symphony of the Seas.

 

We have arrived to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

We arrived this morning around 7:30 and Utopia of the Seas was already here. 

 

There was an announcement at about 8am from the Captain who suggested that the ship has been cleared, and all passengers are free to go ashore. 

 

I will probably leave the ship around 9:30, and take the shuttle over to Hideaway Beach. Hideaway Beach just open earlier this year and this will be my first time to try it out. It appears to be very nice with a large Beach front and extra large infinity pool.

 

The forecast today is promising with sunny skies with temperatures around 84F.

All passengers must be back on this ship at 5pm. Here or a few pics from this morning. 

 

Thanks for tuning in. 

 

Radio

 

Symphony of The Seas approaching the pier slowly at CocoCay.

 

 

 

We have arrived

 

 

 

 

I feel like I could reach out and touch Utopia of the Seas.

 

 

 

Symphony Dunes on Deck 15 AFT

 

 

 

If I zoom in, I can see Hideaway Beach.

 

 

 

 

CocoCay Map

 

 

 

Beaches and attractions at CocoCay.

 

 

 

Hideaway Beach Royal Caribbean Flyer.

 

 

 

 

Things to know about CocoCay

 

 

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Edited Wednesday at 12:55 PM by Radio

[Radio]

Hello everyone and good day. I have been to CocoCay many times (even when it was a tender port) and I must say that a stop here never disappoints. 

 

The weather was perfect, the skies were blue, and the water was very calm. The pools were even warm. 

 

I spent the day at Hideaway Beach today and I wasn't sure that I would like it. Many passengers have suggested that it was a loud party atmosphere with a lot of noise and certainly not restful. 

 

I did not see this at all today. I left the ship today around 9:30 and arrived at Hideaway Beach soon thereafter. There were several hundred passengers already there and maybe later in the day things may have gotten crowded and out of control, but not for me. 

 

The beach area loungers were mostly full but there were still many loungers and umbrellas available for hundreds of other passengers.. All of the cabanas were empty and there was music playing but it was standard dance pop. It was a pleasant experience.

 

 There are two food pavilions there and I tried both of them out. Slice of Paradise pavilion offered pizza and empanadas. Hideaway Hut offered burgers, dogs, mozzarella sticks, funnel cakes and other traditional CocoCay foods.

 

There is no need to bring a towel from the ship. You can bring one, but it is not required because there are towel stations at Hideaway Beach. I saw several passengers walking there, but I chose the tram. The workers there suggested it is about 1/4 mile distance from the pier.

 

I stayed about 3 hours then came back to the ship. This was the perfect time for me to watch news for a bit. Here are a few photos from Perfect Day at CocoCay.

 

Thanks for tuning in. 

 

Radio

 

Hideaway Beach entrance 

 

 

 

Most of the cabanas were empty when I arrived. 

 

 

 

 

The water was beautiful 

 

 

 

There were plenty of seating for diners 

 

 

 

The turning area was nicely shaded. 

 

 

 

The beachfront was very large.

 

 

 

Okay, I think I know where I'm going. 

 

 

 

 

The pool was heated and very comfortable. 

 

 

 

The water was beautiful 

 

 

 

 

The sandy beach was very soft

 

 

 

I think the pool day beds were first come first served.

 

 

 

Pavilion area offered shaded comfort.

 

 

 

 

This was the land side of the pool bar

 

 

 

 

The pool water was very calming

 

 

 

 

Hammocks were also available for use

 

 

 

The beaches seemed to go on forever

 

 

 

This is truly a beautiful paradise 

 

 

 

 

The Ultimate Cruise sand castle

 

 

 

Utopia of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas

 

 

 

2 Beautiful Ships 

 

 

 

 

 

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[djvcr]

On 9/29/2024 at 9:27 PM, Radio said:

I was able to park in the garage.

 

I got off Symphony that morning. The sailing before the garage was closed and we had to park in the open lot directly in front of the ship. I arrived at about 10:30 am. It wasn't much of a walk and avoided the crowd for the elevator. It is interesting that the garage was open for you. Maybe if you arrive a little later, they will open the garage?

[djvcr]

1 minute ago, djvcr said:

Maybe if you arrive a little later, they will open the garage?

 Sorry, I didn't read your next post... Garage for back-to-back cruiser or Handicap. In May when I sailed on Adventure the garage was also for Handicap, but I have done three other sailings out of this port, and all were in the garage except the two this year.

[Radio]

4 hours ago, djvcr said:

 Sorry, I didn't read your next post... Garage for back-to-back cruiser or Handicap. In May when I sailed on Adventure the garage was also for Handicap, but I have done three other sailings out of this port, and all were in the garage except the two this year.

Yes, djvcr. I was told that when only one ship is sailing from Cape Liberty, the garage would be open for all the passengers.  For September however, Symphony of The Seas, Liberty of the Seas, and Celebrity Eclipse are sailing from Cape Liberty. Usually from November through April only one ship is sailing.

 

I hope that helps. 

 

Radio