🐾🐾 Sea Dog is Live! Tiki, Tacos and Tequila: Navigator, October 18-25

[Sea Dog]

2 minutes ago, derorim said:

 

That's the cutest photo of you and Linda  Happy Anniversary!

Thanks Joy! it’s one of my favorites too. Thank you the Anniversary wishes. We will celebrate onboard on the 18h at the Chef’s Table.

Edited Wednesday at 10:53 PM by Sea Dog

[Tree_skier]

1 hour ago, juanrod said:

@Sea Dog when did you get your royal up ?  I’m still waiting to see if mine goes through for our October 28th cruise 

 

Sorry to interrupt @Sea Dog's live but I just wanted to answer your query.  I'm on the Oct 28th sailing and I received an email yesterday letting me know I won my RoyalUp to a GS 🍾

[Tree_skier]

Welcome to Southern California @Sea Dog  Sorry about the overcast skies.  

 

[Sunshine3601]

Great start.  I'm excited to follow along.  Happy Anniversary!  Cheers💐🍹🍹

Thank you for sharing😊

[Ocean Boy]

12 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Prologue

 

\

 

It’s a darkened room with a circle of chairs. I see silhouetted figures sitting facing each other. A man stands up and faces the group. He says “Hello everyone my name is Sea Dog”… (audience greets in unison “Hi Sea Dog” )… "and I... . am a Cruiseaholic who is addicted to cruising.”

 

I think to myself ‘hmmmmm. A Cruiseaholic on Royal Caribbean is like an alcoholic who swapped the bar for a buffet: both seek escape, but one does it with all-you-can-eat tacos while the other clings to a cocktail like it’s a life raft. The Cruiseaholic obsessively plans their cruise around deck parties, excursions and sunset views, while the alcoholic plans around happy hour and last call. One’s got a sun hat and a lounge chair, the other’s got a barstool and a frozen drink that has a Kraken floater." In the end, interestedly they both end up in the same place……. a good time.’

 

……..Suddenly I woke up from my dream and everything becomes clear.

 

 

Just found this four pages down already.

[Sea Dog]

We Are Here!

 

We landed after a nice nonstop 3 hour flight.

 

 

You can tell Long Beach airport is small. No jetways to exit. Glad it was not raining  here with a cool overcast sky. Easy to get around and the bag claim only two carousels. Easy walk to the curb to catch a uber.

 

 

Got a $72 Uber XL. Picked us up in 4 minutes. 25 minute ride through rush hour. It’s expensive out here.

[DaKahuna]

5 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Remember when flying used to fun and exciting and classy?

 

Yes, and I also remember when you could smoke on an airplane, and then it changed to smoking section & non-smoking section, and not 100% non-smoking. 

 

5 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Now a days not so much unless you can afford a first class ticket.

 

We've adopted the attitude that we will fly first class instead of our children.  We told them both not to expect much in the way of inheritance and they are both fine with us spending it. 

 

[George C]

15 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Yes, and I also remember when you could smoke on an airplane, and then it changed to smoking section & non-smoking section, and not 100% non-smoking. 

 

 

We've adopted the attitude that we will fly first class instead of our children.  We told them both not to expect much in the way of inheritance and they are both fine with us spending it. 

 

The fact that we never had children definitely helps in our first class flights and booking suites , vacations and entertainment are high on my priority list , we have a very nice house but we’re told we could have a much bigger house, not that interested. Funny we were out our favorite restaurant today and asked for a reservation for Saturday was told nothing was available, asked them to please check with management minutes later we had the reservation, that’s what happens when you spend a obscene amount of money at a restaurant.

[DaKahuna]

7 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Yes I love good Reposado. Linda got me a bottle of Clase Azul Reposado. It is outstanding a real good sipping tequila. I also love the bottle. I will keep it as a art piece when finished.

 

 That is some very good tequila there my friend.  Enjoy

 

[mil76]

No Royal Up here.  Bid on a JS, but wasn't expecting anything since we haven't won a bid since right after the restart.

 

We also got an email yesterday telling us there is the annual Coast Guard inspection so we shouldn't show up until 12:30pm.  😠

[JamesEM]

Following along, I enjoyed your last trip report, looking forward to your new reports and photos. 

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, mil76 said:

No Royal Up here.  Bid on a JS, but wasn't expecting anything since we haven't won a bid since right after the restart.

 

We also got an email yesterday telling us there is the annual Coast Guard inspection so we shouldn't show up until 12:30pm.  😠

We were originally scheduled for 10:30 now it’s noon. We will still come early and hope they will let passengers with the Key in.

[perfect match]

I’m here and excited to be following along with you on Navigator! 
Congratulations on your Royal Up bid win. When we saw a great price drop on a suite guarantee on our last cruise we did a self upgrade mostly because we wanted the extra space but the extra points we got were certainly a nice bonus. We thought it was a great decision. 😀

 

Hope you enjoy your Tiki Bar visits. I don’t think I’ll need to be asking you for pictures so I’ll just say I’m looking forward to seeing them. 
 

Best wishes to you and Linda for a very happy anniversary! 🥂🍾💐

[Sea Dog]

🌴 Royal Hawaiian Tiki Bar: A Tropical Oasis in Laguna Beach 🍹

Aloha, cocktail connoisseurs and beach bums! If you find yourself in the sun-kissed paradise of Laguna Beach, there's a little slice of the tropics waiting just for you at the famous and historic Royal Hawaiian Tiki Bar.

 

 

 

 

I recently embarked on a tiki-tastic adventure here, and let me tell you, it was a luau of flavors, fun, and fabulous cocktails!

🌺 Setting the Scene

First opened in 1947 by the Philippines-born Francis Cabang and his partner Harold "Hal" Hanna, both World War II veterans from the Philippines. It was one of the first restaurants in Orange County 

 

Walking into the Royal Hawaiian Tiki Bar is like stepping into a time machine set to "Island Paradise."

 

With bamboo everywhere, tiki lamps casting a warm glow, and nautical items hanging on the walls, the ambiance is pure Polynesian perfection. You half expect to see Moana herself sipping a cocktail at the bar.

 

🍹 Cocktails: Liquid Sunshine

Now, let’s dive into the real stars of the show – the cocktails! The menu reads like a treasure map of tropical delights, each drink promising an adventure of its own.

 

1. Laguna Beach Chief Lapu Lapu: This signature cocktail is a legendary blend of rum, passion fruit, and pineapple juice. Served in a large snifter that was on fire, the Lapu Lapu is both a feast for the eyes and a delight for the taste buds. One sip, and I was ready to hula dance my way to the nearest hammock.

2.The Royal Hawaiian: Their signature drink freshly balanced and rum forward. Made up of Gold Rum, Dark Jamaican Rum and Acid-Adjusted Pineapple making it ‘out of the world’ and truly unique. And for an extra few bucks you can take home the glass. Of course I was going to add that to my collection.

 

🎉 Island Vibes

 

 

 

 

The Royal Hawaiian isn’t just about the drinks; it’s a full-on tropical experience. The decor is simply stunning. Redesigned and built by a the famous Tiki builder “Bamboo Ben.” The incredible detail in lamps, tribal masks and nautical design themes make this the ultimate escape. Bamboo is plentiful and has be bar is stocked with about every rum known to mankind.

 

🍍 The Food

The Royal Hawaiian food is very good.
 

 

Linda had the Roho burger with a pineapple slice.
 

 

I had the Garlic Shrimp Pasta which was very buttery and the garlic taste was not too strong. It was a light dish and I did not feel that full which left room for another cocktail.

🌟 Final Thoughts

The Royal Hawaiian Tiki Bar in Laguna Beach is a must-visit for any tiki enthusiast or anyone craving a tropical escape. The combination of killer cocktails, vibrant atmosphere, and friendly staff makes it a standout spot that guarantees a great time.

So grab your best Hawaiian shirt, slap on some sunscreen (even if it’s night time – just for the vibe), and head to the Royal Hawaiian Tiki Bar for a taste of paradise. Mahalo and cheers to unforgettable island adventures! 🍹🌺🍍

 

 

[taznremmy]

I don’t know if this will be readable, but here is the Bamboo Room menu.  Start picking your poison….,🙀😹
 

[Sea Dog]

More from the Beautiful Royal Hawaiian 

 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 06:39 AM by Sea Dog

[bobmacliberty]

I'm so happy that you had a great time at the Royal Hawaiian.  I don't know if/when I will be back to that neck of the woods, but I've definitely added it to my must visit list.

[mandyleighflies]

 We sailed NOS at the restart in February 2022 and loved her! Truly enjoying your review so far and looking forward to "sailing along". 🌴

Edited Thursday at 11:30 AM by mandyleighflies

[KLMB]

Oh Greg!  I love your reviews so much.  Many times I have wanted to experience your exact cruise - you did all the planning, we even live in KC!  Happy anniversary to both you and Linda, and thank you so much for sharing your adventures.

[Sea Dog]

Outstanding Cruise Critic Member Award Goes to???

 

@taznremmy

 

Who did me a huge favor by making all my specialty dinning reservation.

 

Pat was so gracious and asked if she could do anything for us since she is already on board and will be staying on for a couple more B2B’s. I told her about needing to get my specialty dining reservations made and she said she would try and help. I gave her my list of restaurants, what nights we wanted to dine and time and she made it happen. 
 

That’s one less worrying chore that I usually race to get on board and get to a restaurant and make my reservations with my fingers crossed that I can get the night and time that we wanted.

 

Thanks again Pat @taznremmy

 

You are the best. That’s why I love this Cruise Critic Community and the people that have become life long friends.

[Arzeena]

Happy Anniversary Greg and Linda! 🥂
Enjoy your cruise! We love reading your posts and seeing the pictures.

Thank you for taking the time to do your live review.

[Sea Dog]

Good Morning San Pedro!
 

[Sea Dog]

Doubletree Hotel Review

We decided to stay near the cruise port at the San Pedro Doubletree Hotel which is located next to the Carbrillo Marina.

 

 

You can tell it’s an older hotel but still kept in good condition.

 

One thing I love about a Doubletree is those oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Boy those are good.

 

 

Our room had two queens a large tv and lots of outlets and usb ports so we didn’t have to break out the usb charging tower.

 

 

What I didn’t like was the fact that there is no entry way light. Once you enter the darkened room the only light switches are for the closet and bathroom. There were 3 lamps in the room but had to turned on individually and one wasn’t even plugged in.

 

 

Our balcony/patio was really weird. We apparently share it with another room and we are not even connected to that room. Plus whoever was in the other room left their glassware out on the balcony, not cool.

 

 

We also ran into a problem as the air conditioner did not work. We tried to get it to work but couldn’t. We called for a maintenance man and they promptly showed up but couldn’t fix it either.

 

Linda talked to the front desk and they offered to put us in another room but it only had a king size bed. Linda offered to stay in our room while I slept in the other room with the AC that I like to keep like refrigerator. Staff said they would have a new room for us to check in tomorrow that has two queens. At least they were very apologetic and made arrangements for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[h20skibum]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

Our balcony/patio was really weird. We apparently share it with another room and we are not even connected to that room. Plus whoever was in the other room left their glassware out on the balcony, not cool.

Is that another balcony/patio to the right of yours in the photo?  Looks like a table and chairs on it.   
 

Doesn’t appear to offer much privacy.   

[Sea Dog]

3W or Who Wants Waffles?
 

The Omelet and Waffle Shop in San Pedro 

A short 7 minute Uber from the hotel.

 

 

Love the classic lunch counter vibe.

 

 The menu is huge with over 100 different omelets, tons of waffles as well as sandwiches and lunch.

 

 

Linda had the Strawberry Waffle

She said it was delicious 

 

I had a Crab Benedict with real lump crab meat

which was fantastic.

 

 

Also homemade hot biscuits. Steaming hot just like I like it.

 

They do prefer cash but will charge an extra $1.50 for card transactions.

 

I love this place and can’t recommend this great breakfast spot on your next pre cruise visit.