Showing posts with label Independence of the Seas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Independence of the Seas. Show all posts

Monday, December 9, 2024

Sailing from South Beach- Sea Day #2

The Royal Caribbean Keychain
June 5, 2024
Sea Day #2


Our Independence is coming to an end and soon we will be back to full-time "Mom and Dad" and going 100 mph. Let's enjoy these last few moments! 

Morning
After a late night we slept in a bit and didn't wake up until after 8:30AM. We got ready and then grabbed a quick and light breakfast at the Windjammer since we planned on eating in the Main Dining Room for lunch. Even at 9AM on a Sea Day, the Windjammer was not packed and the food was great. We then went to the Plaza Bar to get the specialty coffee "Haute and Steamy" from Chops the night before. Unfortunately, it was not the same but we enjoyed it. Then we got our traditional freshly squeezed orange juice with our Deluxe Beverage Package to end our morning in the WJ. TIP- Reminder, you can get the freshly squeezed OJ everyday at the Plaza Bar FREE with the drink package. Usually priced at $4.75, this is WORTH IT! Trust me! 

We then went to the Schooner Bar for morning trivia. Alison was our bartender and he made several random concoctions for us that we both enjoyed. We stayed and LOST two separate trivia sessions before walking Deck 4 and getting our steps in. We walked over a mile and then ended on the very windy Helicopter Pad at the front of Deck 5. TIP- This is such a unique offering that RCCL has on Voyager, Freedom and Oasis class ships. Be sure to check it out on your next cruise! 


"Shut up and Drink" made by Alison. I have no idea why I liked this so much, it was toasted marshmallow syrup and LIMES. Sounds gross- but it was good! 


We love the Helicopter pad- even on a windy day! 


A view of the bridge from the Helicopter pad! 


It doesn't matter where on the ship- this is my HAPPY PLACE! 


Check out Deck 4 on Independence of the Seas. 

Afternoon
We then made our way to the Main Dining Room for the Sea Day lunch. This used to be my favorite part of Sea Days as I loved the menu options and pre-Covid, the Tutti Salad Bar. I especially loved this experience on the Liberty 2018 cruise.

We enjoyed our lunch in the MDR but the service was as we expected, very slow and inattentive. It took about 70 minutes to get in and out of the MDR for lunch, which is laughable considering our dinner times have been right at an hour (or less). I think RCCL needs to fix this! 


I love the THREE DECK Main Dining Rooms on RCCL! 


The Sea Day Lunch Menu 


Shrimp Risotto- 4.0 (Chris 3.5)
This was not as good as the Tomato and Seafood Risotto from previous lunch menus but this was very good and full of flavor. 


Mozzarella Sticks- 4.0 (Chris- 3.0)
These were very good but we both felt the cheese sticks from Coco Cay were slightly better. 


Chicken Quesadilla- 3.5
There was nothing too special about this but I enjoyed it! 


Spaghetti- Chris 2.5
This was lacking... A LOT! 


Apple Pie Crumble- Chris 4.0
I loved the crumble on this cobbler. 


White Chocolate Strawberry Mousse- 4.0
This was not as good as I remember but still very good flavor and texture. 

After lunch we walked around Deck 4 a few laps before finding some chairs and propping our feet up to watch the ocean sail by. Chris got up after about and hour to take a nap and I stayed and just enjoyed the peace and serenity. 


This is the BEST feeling in the world. Calm seas and a calm heart at sea! 


It does not matter the ship, cruise line or my overall mental health... I am the MOST HAPPY when I am right here! 

Around 3PM I decided to get up and go to Deck 12 and check out the Lido Deck. I got up there just in time for the "Sexiest Man Contest" and this was a lot of fun to watch as a 88 year old man danced his heart out. We then met up at Viking Crown Lounge for a small bit before going back to Schooner Bar for afternoon trivia. 


This Sexiest Man Contest and Mr. Winston was so funny! 


Alison did it once again... These were so PRETTY and delicious! 

We met Alison again and he continued to provide great service and unique drink options while we suffered through 2 more losses of trivia sessions. I really felt we could win the TV Show Theme Songs but they were very tricky! Then the decades trivia also proved to be more than difficult. However, during the "General Knowledge" trivia we had a come-from-behind victory! We actually WON a trivia! Well, Chris did! 


WE WON... WE WON! Hey kids, want to know your souvenir?
This was a lot of FUN and I actually learned a few things! 

We sat at the bar for a few more hours just talking to the crew members about their life onboard before meeting another young cruising couple, whom we talked to for a while. We then got up and decided to be responsible and pack our suitcases for tomorrow's disembarkation day. TIP- Cruisers can opt to have "luggage assistance" and place their bags outside their stateroom at 10PM the night before OR take their luggage off themselves on disembarkation morning. Since we had a late afternoon flight out of MIA, we opted to use luggage assistance. 

Evening
After we got most of our items packed we ventured to Deck 4 for our last night in the MDR. Service was just as good as previous nights and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset from our table. 


Night #5 Caribbean Menu in the MDR 


Coconut Shrimp- 4.5/ Chris 5.0
Chris liked this so much he asked for seconds, then the waiter brought him THREE MORE! 


French Onion Soup- 4.0
It really is THAT good! 


Classic Caesar Salad- 3.5


New York Strip Steak- 1.5
This was the BIGGEST disappointment of the MDR. Why did I even try to order a steak after a night in Chops Grille the night before. Classic mistake! 


Caribbean Pork- Chris 4.0
Chris LOVED this and all flavors that went along with it.


Caribbean Chicken Leg- 4.5
Chris opted to try both Caribbean dishes and liked the chicken more. 


Pineapple Sunshine Cake- 2.0
This did not do anything for me personally but it was presented well. 


Royal Chocolate Cake- Chris 3.5
Chris really enjoyed this but it was VERY RICH! 


It's hard to believe it is almost over... tomorrow they kick us off the ship! 


God sure does paint a pretty picture! 


A sunset and the wake of cruise ship create the most PERFECT thing ever! 

After dinner we finalized our luggage and placed it outside our stateroom door before making our way to Vintages for our last evening aboard the Independence of the Seas.

Near 10:30PM there was an 80s dance party in the Royal Promenade and we were able to watch it all from Vintages. We loved singing along and dancing (sorta) from Vintages. We called it a night shortly after midnight with a pit-stop at Sorrento's. 

Our last day onboard was a very light day but we came home with a Royal Caribbean Keychain so that's a win! 

UP NEXT- Our travel day home back to God's Country!  

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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Friday, July 12, 2024

Sailing from South Beach- Sea Day #1

 Trivia Losers
June 3, 2024
Sea Day #1


We LOVE a good sea day and this one was on point! 

Morning
We woke up and made our way to the Windjammer for breakfast around 8AM and the crowds were minimal. TIP- Windjammer offers the same options on both sides of the buffet and most of the entrée options are at the aft of the buffet. We chose to had the made-to-order omelets again and they were delicious. TIP- This is an an area where RCCL KILLS Carnival. They offer a pager that allows you to place your order and come back and retrieve your food once it is ready. On Carnival, you are still forced to stand in line while yours and those ahead of you omelets get cooked. Well done Royal Caribbean. 


I HATE Mondays- But not on a cruise ship! 


The omelet station is located in the VERY back of the Windjammer and housed with a dedicated "order taker". 

After breakfast we walked around Deck 11 and 12 to get a mile in for Chris's step challenge with the Math Department. After we reached a mile, he went to take his meds and I got a specialty coffee and we met on Deck 4 to enjoy the open seas before the Top Tier Event later in the morning. 


We did 6 laps around this jogging track and somehow our Apple watch had us going 3:45 a mile. I felt like Michael Scott... 

Haha... Never a dull moment! 

We then went to the Viking Crown Lounge on Deck 14 for the Crown and Anchor loyalty Top Tier Event. This is an event where the top guests of Royal Caribbean for the sailing meet the captain, cruise director and many other officers to ask questions and get treated like Royalty. Since we are now platinum with RCCL as of our Allure 2023 cruise, we are now part of this special top tier event. 

We were able to meet the captain, hotel director and the cruise director plus enjoy some great stories and jokes from the Captain as well as light drinks/ appetizers. 


Our traditional Cruise Director picture with Mario. 
Mario was a good CD but I would not label him as "great". He seemed "aged" and was not near as fun as some of the CDs we have had like Kyndall Fire, the Flying Scotsman and Corey Rogers. He will be "forgettable" 

This cruise housed 101 platinum guests, 80 emerald guests, 80 diamond guests, 49 diamond plus and only 5 pinnacle guests. The person with the most "points" had only been cruising for 16 years and accumulated 935 points. TIP- All passengers get 1 point per night and can get double points for booking suites, solo cabins and more. During Covid there was a time where people where getting 16 points per night. Even with those numbers, this 935 was quite impressive. 

Afternoon
The rest of our late morning and afternoon were spent in Schooner Bar playing the many trivia games of the day. We started with the Name That Tune- Decades where we did well with 15/20 but we did not win. Then Chris tried to win the geography trivia and came close... but no cigar. 

We paused for lunch and went up to the Lido Deck for the Fish and Ships dining option near the Splash Pad. TIP- This is the ONLY free fast food option on the Independence of the Seas and offers fish and chips, fried shrimp and fried sandwiches. We enjoyed the shrimp option but overall this was not a "great" lunch/ fast food option for Royal Caribbean. This is where we believe that RCCL really lacks- the lunch time fast food options. Beside Sorrento's and Cafe Promenade, the Windjammer is the only option on Voyager and Freedom class ships. That is so disappointing when you are used to Guy's Burgers, Blue Iguana Cantina and Guy's Pig and Anchor on most Carnival ships. I also got a small plate from the Windjammer just to try out the Sea Day offerings and unfortunately, it was the same as day 1 and left MUCH to be desired! 


This grab and go offering is on the port side of the Splash Away Bay area on Deck 11. 


The Fried Shrimp- 3.0
The Fish and Chips- 3.0
Both were lacking flavor and texture. 

After lunch we did some more walking before Chris went to take a nap in the stateroom. I decided to go to Deck 4 and try and enjoy the peace and quiet of the ocean sailing by. Unfortunately, the Independence of the Seas did not offer the lounge chairs on this deck like the Adventure 2023 and Liberty 2019 which was quite disappointing. They did have chairs but none to lounge in. I sat and watched the ocean pass by for a while and then maintenance showed up and starting making all kinds of noise so I decided to go to the Lido Deck and see what was happening. The Lido Deck was PACKED with people (2PM) and all of the pools and hot tubs were loaded with guests. I could not find a chair in the shade so I opted to go back to the Royal Promenade for a Starbucks coffee. TIP- Reminder, Starbucks specialty coffee IS INCLUDED in the Deluxe Drink Package except at the Starbucks kiosks on Oasis and above class ships. 


Café Promenade offerings on Sea Day #1. 


There is NOTHING an iced latte cannot heal! 


This is a PERFECT DAY and the WAKE was just gorgeous! I sat here staring at it for nearly an hour! It is my happy place! 


Another view from Deck 4 walking area. 


It felt like we were cruising on glass.
The seas were SO CALM! 

We met up in the Star Lounge for Harry Potter trivia. And we tried our best at all the questions but we were just not prepared enough to win and finished with a score of 16/20. We grabbed a few drinks and slices of pizza at Sorrento's and then went back to the Schooner Bar for the 2 afternoon trivia. Unfortunately, we lost both of those as well but we enjoyed meeting a young couple and discussing cruising and talking to the bartenders about life on board. 

Evening
We both went back to the stateroom and got ready for Formal night aboard the Independence of the Seas before making our way to Vintages for our pre-dinner ritual. 


Vintages offered a Tapas Plate on Formal Night since they had a wine tasting during the day. (We missed the Vintages from the Allure 2023 that shared a galley with Chops and Giovanni's. They offered Tapas EVERY NIGHT. We loved that). 


Formal Night Selfie! 


I LOVE Royal Caribbean! It really is my FAVORITE cruise line! 


Waiting for the MDR to open we took a brief stroll around Deck 4 and saw God's handiwork once again! A picture perfect evening! 


Cruise #24 and we're LOVING it! 

Once we arrived at the MDR we noticed Cris, our head waiter, was not there and a manager was going to take his place. He had sprained his wrist the night before towards the end of the meal and was in recovery. Our service had been SO good Chris was a little worried "Oh we're screwed". The manager just laughed and once again, we were in and out of the MDR (on FORMAL NIGHT) within an hour! This was literally the best service we have EVER had in 24 cruises! 

The Taste of France Menu 
(Almost always used on Formal Night) 


The Royal Escargot- 5.0
This is ALWAYS SPOT ON! 


The Calamari- 4.5 (Chris-4.0) 
This was light and fried to perfection. 


The Caesar Salad- Chris 3.5
This was good but not the hit it has been in the past. 


Seafood Linguini- 3.5 (Chris-4.0)
I thought this could've had more sauce but Chris loved it! 


The Royal Tenderloin-4.5
This was so good and cooked to perfection! Not Chops level but it was delicious! 


Herb Crusted Salmon- Chris 4.0
Chris loved the flavor and texture! 


The Royal Crème Brulee- 4.0 (Chris- 4.5)
This is ALWAYS a hit! 

After dinner we walked around Deck 4 to try and walk off some of the calories and bloated-ness before going back to the room so Chris could take his meds and change clothes. 


Just an absolutely GORGEOUS evening! 

We went back to Vintages for the 70s Disco Inferno party. We LOVE this party that RCCL has on most ships and we really enjoyed getting to see it all from Vintages. We didn't do any dancing this time but we loved the atmosphere and vibe! We stayed through the "after party" and then called it a night right as Vintages closed at midnight!


CD Mario and his team leading the Disco Party! 

The Independence of the Seas 70s Disco Inferno!

It was a great "lazy" day on board and we had a great time trying to win all the trivia games... maybe we will win, eventually! 

Up Next... Another GREAT day aboard the Independence of the Seas on a PORT DAY! 

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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