Showing posts with label Embarkation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Embarkation. Show all posts

Sunday, July 13, 2025

The Back to Back- Embarkation Day #1

The Ultimate Embarkation
June 27, 2025
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 


Cruise #26 and the FIRST LEG of this Back to Back... Let's GO! 

Morning
It's CRUISE DAY... The BEST DAY EVER! We had an 11:30AM arrival time so we were slow to get around and ready for our embarkation aboard the Jewel of the Seas. TIP- Check in for the cruise happens 45 days prior to the cruise embarkation day at midnight LOCAL time (11PM our time). I was online checking in the literal SECOND it changed to 11PM but I still got an 11:30AM arrival time- our latest ever. This was disappointing but since this was a much smaller ship we assumed it was the earliest time. I also got that time for the SECOND cruise and I checked in at 5AM the next day. 

Once we were ready we decided to Door Dash McDonald's for breakfast instead of pay the $40-50 for the breakfast at the hotel restaurant. This breakfast, with tip, was $22. However, it took nearly an hour for delivery despite quoting 25 minutes. Since we were not in a rush, this wasn't a concern. But when the food arrived while opening the bag, Chris spilt his coffee all over the table and my phone. Unfortunately, liquid got into the charging port and my phone would not receive a charge for several hours. We then realized we were missing two burritos from our bag. I tried calling the driver and the restaurant but had to go through Door Dash. I was finally able to get a $12 credit but it was so frustrating. It was a disastrous way to start our day but I was not going to let it spoil anything! Like I said... It's the BEST day EVER! 

Our Uber arrived at 10:30AM to get us to the cruise terminal that was about 6 miles away. This Uber was a Toyota Tacoma truck and getting all of our luggage in the back of the truck and secure took a while but we finally were on the way to the ship at 10:45AM. There was a lot of construction on the way to the terminal and then once we arrived we had to be searched by security just to enter the pier area. This was very odd and our Uber driver did not speak any English but we all got cleared and we were at Pier 25 by 11:05AM. 

This was EASILY the absolute easiest embarkation we have EVER had. From the moment we stepped out of the truck with our luggage to the time of stepping on the ship was LESS THAN 10 MINUTES! No kidding... It was flawless. It's hard to tell if this was the port, the arrival time or smaller ship but I am IN LOVE! TIP- We did notice on the 2nd cruise that people started arriving at 10:30AM so we did not have the earliest arrival time like I originally thought. We heard our FIRST DING at 11:14AM. 


Check it out... Easily the FASTEST and EASIEST Embarkation EVER! 


Hello Jewel of the Seas! 
It's Friday and it's the BEST DAY EVER! 

We immediately got on board and went to our Muster Station to get checked in and cleared for our cruise. TIP- Royal Caribbean still has the post-Covid Muster Drill that allows you to watch a video prior to embarking on the ship and then checking in with a crew member instead of the MASSIVE crowds at the pre-Covid meetings. THANK YOU ROYAL CARIBBEAN (and most other cruise lines too). This is so much easier and I hope we NEVER go back to the large group muster station drill. 


CHEERS to Cruise #26! 

Afternoon
On this first 3 day cruise, we decided we would splurge and pay for the Ultimate Dining Package. This allowed you to eat lunch and dinner in Specialty Restaurants. In fact, we NEVER ate in the Windjammer for this cruise and for that reason alone, this cruise was a MAJOR SUCCESS!  We went to Chops to confirm all of our reservations for the week before chilling at Schooner Bar before lunch. We had a 12:30PM reservation at Chops and this would be our first time to eat LUNCH in Chops. This meal was incredible and I may now be addicted to lunch in Chops. We both got steaks and while it was so fulfilling, it was SO GOOD! TIP- During lunch Chops enforces the only ONE per category of ordering. So only 1 appetizer, entrée and dessert each. We have almost ALWAYS had 2 appetizers but at lunch they only allowed one of each and only 4 sides total. 


The Chops Grill LUNCH menu
(It is a little smaller and some offerings are missing) 


Mushroom Soup- 5.0+ 
It's a MUST and literally the best soup either of us have EVER had! 


The 5oz Filet (cooked to perfection)- 4.5
This steak was perfect! 


Key Lime Pie- 4.5
I don't even like pie but this was PERFECT! 

After lunch the staterooms were ready so we made our way to Deck 3 forward to our inside cabin. This cabin was well appointed for an interior room but it was still rather small compared to the Anthem of the Seas we just got off of. In fact, it was VERY OUTDATED and needed an upgrade in the worst way. Again, I may have noticed this more since we just got off a newly built and up to date tech room in the Anthem of the Seas but it was visibly needing repairs and showing age. But it worked and we didn't complain. I was able to spot all of our luggage at the end of the hallway and was able to completely unpack all of our suitcases while Chris took a nap. 


Overall, I have no complaints of this cabin! It got the job done! 

We walked all the decks and open areas and decided that Vortex Lounge on Deck 13 would be where we would watch sail away. As the passengers boarded the ship we noticed not too many kids but a lot of adults and party atmosphere was present. In fact, it was a "Spirit Airlines" type of vibe from the get go. We could tell this was going to be a "Booze Cruise" crowd and we were right. Lots of rude, obnoxious and rowdy adults but we didn't let that bother us because the service of Royal Caribbean made up for this. TIP- We have heard that the 3 day weekend cruises out of Miami are ALWAYS Booze Cruises and this was true out of Ft. Lauderdale too. Again, this didn't bother us but be mindful of this.


We are ready to set sail to Coco Cay! 


My traditional buoy picture... 26 strong! 


Goodbye Ft. Lauderdale, we will see you in THREE days! 


We are about 2 hours into sailing and you can still see Miami and Ft. Lauderdale! 

Evening
We watched sail away in Vortex for nearly 2 hours before going to Schooner Bar for Pre-Dinner Trivia. We did NOT win the General Knowledge Trivia but we did win the Love Songs trivia. We won on the FIRST DAY again- We are on a roll! We went to chill at the Safari Lounge until our reservations at Giovanni's Table. We had eaten at Giovanni's a few times in the past but this was a HUGE surprise and completely blew us away. The food and service were phenomenal, albeit a little slower than we prefer, and we couldn't get enough. The Mushroom risotto was "to die for" and the Caprese Salad has been in my dreams the last week it was so good! 


WINNERS- Love Song Trivia! 


I loved the Safari Lounge and the views of the wake- my favorite! 


Giovanni's Table Menu 


Crispy Calamari- 4.0
This was cooked to perfection and nice BIG pieces. 


Caprese Salad- 4.5
Wow... the beefsteaks tomatoes made this so delicious! 


Seafood Linguini- 4.5
This was the most decadent white sauce I have ever had!

The Garlic Prawns-4.0
I was so full at this point! 


Pork Cutlet- 3.5
Chris said this was a little bit of a miss !

Tiramisu- 3.5
This was almost TOO rich to eat! 

Cannoli- 3.5

Giovanni's was the SURPRISE of the cruise and overall we would rate the FOOD a 4.5 and the service 4.0. This may be a new MUST do specialty restaurant! 

After dinner we walked around the outside of Deck 5 on the Promenade to help walk off our dinner as we were SO full. Then we went back to the room to take medication and of course, took a brief 30 minute nap before going to the Coral Theater for the TANGO Dance show. This was not a typical Royal Caribbean Production show and we were not impressed at all. In fact, the entertainment was probably the biggest disappointment of our time on the Jewel of the Seas. 


I seriously HATE this in the Royal Caribbean theaters- the cup holders. 
These don't hold all glasses and the seats seem really small (even for smaller passengers I have questioned). It is tight and uncomfortable in my opinion! Carnival does this SO MUCH better with the couch seating and small tables for drinks!


This show was so boring... Once you have seen them do one tango dance move, you've seen the whole show. It just wasn't for us! 

We left the Tango show early to go to the Pit Stop Sports Bar and watch Cricket until the bar closed at midnight. 


Our new summer cruise tradition- watching Cricket in the Sports Bar! 
It's weird but kinda cool! 

It was a great embarkation day and it really was the ULTIMATE way to spend a day aboard a cruise ship! 


Embarkation Day #1 was a success! 

Up Next... The ONLY Sea Day of our First Cruise. Stay Tuned! 

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Anthem of the Seas (Alaska)- June 2025








 


Carnival Conquest- 2006

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Saturday, June 29, 2024

Sailing from South Beach- Miami

A Sail-Away for Cruise Lovers
June 1, 2024
Miami, FL 

An Embarkation Day and Sail Away for the memory books! 
BEST SAIL AWAY EVER!!! 

Morning
It was not the best night's sleep as I was sick a lot of the evening with severe dehydration. But I was up early to get ready for my favorite day... CRUISE DAY! Unfortunately, there was not any hot water at 6AM and I was forced to wake up real fast with a stone cold shower. We got ready and then went to breakfast as soon as they opened at 7:30AM and there was quite a long line. But Embassy Suites handled the crowd well, as they did the previous morning, and we were in and out of the breakfast area before 8AM. We then went back to the room to finishing packing and fight the elevators to get back to the lobby for our 9:30AM shuttle to Port Miami. 

TIP- Embassy Suites offers a shuttle for $12.50/person to the Port Miami. This is scheduled for 3 separate runs staring at 9:30AM. It seemed like EVERYONE in that hotel was headed to the shuttle and Port Miami and it was nothing short of a HOT MESS. In fact, we waited for a while and wondered if we should just call an Uber and we finally got loaded into one of the 7 shuttles. If I had to do this again, I would just pay for the Uber as the cost would be very similar. Also, you will need to pay for this upon check-in at the hotel OR pay the shuttle driver. I was under the assumption that it was added to the room total but it was not. Luckily, Chris had cash and we were able to pay and tip the driver. 


This was a HOT MESS express... But, we made it! 

We arrived at Port Miami around 10AM and we were the 4th group to be dropped off as we were at Terminal G (the northern most terminal). Once we were dropped off we walked to the semi-long line to get into the terminal and as soon as we arrived in the line, it started moving into the terminal. We then got checked in within 7 minutes and were waiting in the terminal waiting room at 10:20AM. TIP- The terminal workers had us sit lined up in the order we arrived and this meant less chaos when it was time to board this ship. I really liked this as it was very organized- but I am glad we were early rather than late! 


A view of Port Miami before entering the tunnel... 


Carnival Magic- Been there, done that! 
(Although, I really liked the Carnival Magic- 2015)


A very brief view of Terminal G at Port Miami! 

We got on board the Independence of the Seas at 10:43 and done with our Muster Station meeting before 11AM. It may not have been as smooth and carefree as our Allure Embarkation Day but it was very easy to say the least! We were sitting in Playmakers and enjoying our first cocktail by 11:15AM. 


It's SATURDAY.. I love this! 

We are on board with drink it hand... Let the cruise begin! 


Playmakers Bar on Deck 4 on Independence of the Seas. 
This was a new addition when the Indy got amped up in 2018. We really liked the countless TVs showing all kinds of sports and the arcade games as well. Playmakers offers food to order (think nachos, wings and etc.) but we never order any of these. 

Afternoon
After we explored Playmakers on Deck 4 and then the Royal Promenade on Deck 5, we made our way to the Windjammer Marketplace Buffet for lunch before the crowds arrived. The Windjammer was not at all packed and the food was on par for Royal Caribbean buffet food. I am not a fan of the Windjammer but this first day was not awful. 


The Royal Promenade on Independence of the Seas! 
I'll be honest... I MISS THE TEXAS FLAG! 


The Royal Promenade as seen from the Deck 8 AFT elevators! 


Chris's Windjammer plate... He loved the BBQ. 

After lunch we walked all over the upper decks to get a feel for the Independence of the Seas. We really enjoyed the aft area of the ship where the Sports Deck, Flowrider and Waterslides were housed. While we did not spend much of our 5 days in this area of the ship, I know our kids would have LOVED this area. TIP- I really appreciated the covered seating area for watching the Flowrider. 


This was a picture perfect moment! 



My traditional buoy picture... PRICELESS! 


I absolutely loved sailing from Miami! 


Independence of the Seas- Deck 12-13 AFT 
(Sports Deck) 


Independence of the Seas Sports Deck 

As we arrived on the front of Deck 13, we noticed very few people at the Golf Course so we opted to play our traditional game of mini-golf. For the first 5 holes, I was actually in the lead and then Chris got a HOLE IN ONE and it was all over. I never came back to tie or beat him and once again, Chris won our match. That is 6 cruises in a row. 


I was all smiles at this time because I was in the lead... 


But, once again I AM THE LOSER! 

By this time it was after 12PM and it was HOT and HUMID on the open decks and we opted to go inside for a few afternoon drinks. We landed at the small Champagne Bar at the start of the Royal Promenade. We stayed here for nearly 2 hours before grabbing some Sorrento's and then going to our stateroom to try and get settled for cruise. 


Royal Caribbean really does this well and the service was AMAZING all week! 

Stateroom #8323
We booked this cruise in a traditional Interior stateroom on Deck 7 but put in a bid for several different categories on the Royal Up program. We were hoping to get the large interior or large forward-facing Oceanview stateroom with our bids but we landed with a Promenade View Interior Room. We bid $125/person ($250 total) for this upgrade and while the cabin was decent, I would not book or even bid on this cabin in the future. It was oddly shaped and laid out and there was a lot of wasted space. We did not use the Promenade View window as we were almost ALWAYS actually IN the promenade enjoying the dances and parties. It is a cool option to have had ONCE but I would not book it again! 


Promenade View Interior Stateroom #8323

Once in our stateroom, we unloaded the carry on bags with our toiletries and Chris's medicine but unfortunately, our large checked suitcases were not delivered as of 2:30PM. Chris took a nap and we were woke up to a knock on the door from our steward delivering my suitcase around 3:45PM. I tried to start unpacking but we wanted to ensure we had a good view of the sail away from Miami as this would be the first time we have ever sailed from Miami and our 23 previous cruises. 

We grabbed a drink from the Skybar and then went to the front of the ship on Deck 13 near the mini-golf to watch the sail away. We assumed we would push off real quick but it took nearly an hour before any ship pulled out. The Carnival Sunshine took off before we did but we were the 2nd ship to leave Miami and that meant we would be able to see the impressive Icon of the Seas at Terminal A as we passed through the channel to get to the Atlantic. This may have been the best part of the entire sail away. This ship is MASSIVE and it is really hard to truly understand her size until you have seen her live! I am not sure if I would want to sail on this MASSIVE ship carrying 8-10K people but she was a sight to see! We also passed the Carnival Magic and the MSC Seascape on our way out to the Atlantic. 


The MSC Seascape- She is coming to Galveston in November 2025 and after passing by her on our way out of Miami... I would sail on her! 


The NCL Terminal at Port Miami!


Our first view of the Icon of the Seas... Good grief, she is massive and GORGEOUS! 


Just look at that aft... 


Sail away selfie! 


Goodbye Miami... We'll see you in 5 days! 

After sail away we walked around Deck 11 to view the sail away party before going back to the Royal Promenade to get some light snacks at Café Promenade before our late seating dinner. 


Café Promenade is loaded with light snacks/ sandwiches and cookies all day long! Plus- free and specialty coffee and teas! 

Evening
I made a pit-stop at the stateroom hoping the other suitcase was delivered but it was not so we went to Vintages for predinner drinks and wine. This was our favorite part of our Allure- July 2023 cruise and we were excited to continue this pre-dinner trend on the Independence. 


My favorite place on a Royal Caribbean ship! 
(Although, I learned I do like the more isolated placement of Vintages on the Oasis class ships. It is a little nicer and less noisy.) 

Once 7:15PM rolled around we made our way to dinner in the Main Dining Room. Our waiters, Cris and Mario, were literally the best team we have EVER had in 24 cruises across 4 cruise lines. We were in and out of the MDR in less than an hour on EVERY SINGLE night of the cruise... Even Formal night! The new Royal Caribbean menu options were on point and we enjoyed the MDR in every aspect. 


Night #1- Welcome Aboard Menu 


Royal Crab Cake- 4.5 (Chris 3.0)
This was light and very flavorful 


Royal Shrimp Cocktail- Chris 3.5

Roasted Tomato Soup- 4.5
Royal does soups VERY WELL and this was spot on! 


Prime Rib- 3.5 (Chris 4.5) 
The taste was EXCELLENT but I was just not feeling it. 


Boston Cream Pie- 3.5 (Chris 4.5) 
This was VERY RICH- but oh so good! 

After dinner we walked around the outside Deck 4 hoping to get a good sunset at 8:15PM but clouds did not allow that. We took some pictures before going back to the room to find all of our luggage. I was able to ask our Steward for a mattress topper since the Royal beds are notorious for being hard as a rock and he was accommodating. TIP- Be sure to ask for this as soon as you see your steward as most ships only have less than 100 of these. 


A view from the Helicopter Pad on Deck 5 forward. 
TIP- This is such a cool offering on most Royal Caribbean ships. Be sure to check this part of the ship out, especially at sunsets and sail away! 


Even with the clouds, God sure does paint a pretty picture! 


Sunset selfie! 

I unpacked all of our bags and got settled before we made our way to Studio B for the Freeze Frame Ice show. TIP- This is one of the BEST things Royal Caribbean does. This show is offered on Voyager, Freedom and Oasis class ships and is one of the coolest shows on the high seas. Be sure to locate the show times EARLY and if possible go to the 1st showing as it is not as crowded since nobody knows about it! 

This show was awesome and we enjoy it on every ship. We then went back to Playmakers to watch a little of the LSU Super Regional baseball game before heading off to the Welcome Aboard and Comedy Show. This was a good show with the live jazz band but the comedian was lacking, to say the least. TIP- This is an area where Carnival completely outweighs Royal Caribbean. They really know how to do comedy well and Royal... DOES NOT! We ended the evening at Vintages where we met the cork-master and learned all about some of the specialty wines onboard. We stayed at Vintages until it closed and then grabbed some pizza at Sorrento's before calling it a night shortly after midnight. 

It was a great day onboard the Independence of the Seas and we absolutely LOVED sailing from Miami! 


That's a wrap for Day 1- Stay tuned for DAY 2! 

Up Next... Our return to Coco Cay but this time for PERFECT DAY @ Coco Cay! 

Be sure to following along for EVERYTHING you need to know about Royal Caribbean's private island! 

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Carnival Radiance- February 2024






 


Carnival Conquest- 2006 

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