Showing posts with label seadays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seadays. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Lost Shaker of Salt- Day 2

Rainy Day Inside
Sea Day #1
April 6, 2026 


We love a good sea day... and even with the rain, this one did not disappoint! 
(Remember- a cruise is what you make of it) 

Morning
We were rocking and rolling all night and that made for not great sleep for either of us. The stateroom itself was kept decently cool but without a fan, I did not sleep well at all. But again, props to MSC for the cool stateroom as it proved to be the coldest room we've ever had, which is deserves a praise. 


Even in terrible weather- I love CRUISING and this was so peaceful! 

We made our way to the Butcher's Cut Steakhouse as they offer complimentary breakfast on Seas Days, or so we thought. TIP- It turns out Butcher's Cut (and Hola Tacos) offers free breakfast on ALL days, even port days. The service was incredible and fast. The food was average at best but we did enjoy the experience of less crowded buffet. 

Check out Butcher's Cut on MSC Seascape


Butcher's Cut offers a MASSIVE restaurant and FREE breakfast EVERYDAY!


Butcher's Cut Breakfast Menu 


The pastries were brought as we were sitting down... These were very tasty and delicate! 


Omelet
Chris- 3.0 & Kellie- 2.0
This was... interesting! The texture was very "mealy" and it was bland! 


Biscuits and Bacon Gravy 
Chris- 3.0 & Kellie- 2.0
The biscuits were as hard as the baseballs Luke throws around at practice... BUT the gravy was "Paula Dean" good! 

After breakfast we stopped by the Specialty Dining Area to fix our Specialty Dinner at Kaito Sushi Bar. TIP- We pre-purchased our Specialty meal prior to embarkation and requested a time... Or so we thought. We received a note in our stateroom early this morning stating we have to come to actually reserve a time. This seemed SO weird to me as I really thought I already did that; however, that is not how MSC does things. All passengers can "request" in the app or online prior to embarkation but must come and "Verify" once on board. We had no idea and only knew this tanks to the note left at our stateroom. Luckily, they had the same night available for us to eat at the Kaito Sushi Bar, but we were not able to get the same 7PM reservation time we had hoped for. We opted for a 6:15PM reservation time and that worked out in the end! But if you pre-purchase meals in specialty restaurants, be sure to confirm and verify your day and time once onboard the ship! 

The Wine Cellar (Specialty Lounge) on MSC Seascape

We spent the rest of the morning in the Cabaret Lounge on Deck 7 Aft. This venue offered live music, trivia plus a gorgeous view of the aft!  We chilled here for a while as it was rainy and stormy outside. The ship was still rocking and rolling through this storm it made for a more crowded ship than we would prefer but we made the best of it. 


My favorite place on ANY SHIP... the wake view! 
This view indoors was even better! 
This venue reminded me of 270 on the Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas. 


These trivia games felt so international as many were "video" style and offered options in many different languages with corresponding flags. 

Afternoon
We spent 3 hours in the Sports Bar and then made our way to the Main Dining Room for lunch. Once again, the service in the MDR was phenomenal and we were in and out in only 45 minutes but once again, the food fell a little short to us. I will say that is was MUCH BETTER than the Embarkation Day dinner from the previous night but overall the flavor was still lacking for our preferences. 


The MDR Lunch Menu offered something for everyone! 


The Penne al la vodka
Kellie 2.5
The pasta was not cooked all the way and when I asked the waiter he mentioned this is the "Italian" way of cooking pasta. I will go ahead and say all of my pasta the rest of the week was not cooked enough for me and was a little "hard"- so at least they were consistent! 



Banoffe Sundae
Kellie- 3.5
This was very good and not traditional- I loved the change of pace! 

We opted to go back to the stateroom and nap as the weather really wasn't in our favor. After our naps we went tried to tour more of the ship but it was still SUPER rainy and the weather was not nice to us. 

The MSC Seascape Hall of Games Arcade (Deck 18 Midship)
This was an AWESOME arcade! 

We ended up going to the Infinity Bar on Deck 8 Aft in the Adults Only area of the Ship. Some of our friends just got off the MSC Seascape and sure enough, the bartenders at the Infinity Bar knew Julie and Nate- in fact, he made a round of drinks of some of their favorites for us and others at the bar! During our time at the Infinity Bar it started to really rain hard and the wind was blowing so hard, our cups would not stay on the bar so we were forced to go inside.

Check out the Main Pool on Deck 18 Aft  




These bartenders were so nice and just made everyone drinks without asking! 
It was a party and we were loving it! 

It was raining so much the rain started to "pool" on the deck! 


Chris sent me this- Umm... This is interesting. The Women's RR did NOT have such a view! 
This made me laugh so much! 

We grabbed some afternoon pizza at the Marketplace Buffet before going back to the Sports Bar for afternoon Live Music and it was incredible. We spent another 2 hours here before heading to dinner in the Green Wave Restaurant. 

Evening
Our 7PM dinner time was a very popular time and I swear this was the only time we felt all 5,500 passengers each day. The line to get into the restaurant was wrapped all the way back to the atrium and the elevator lobbies were crammed with people. We learned after this night to wait until about 7:10PM to make our way to the restaurant as it was just too many people! TIP- MSC Seascape never once opened the doors early to let in guests for the 2nd Dinner Seating. The minute the second hand turned to 7PM, the doors were open and everyone was herded in like cattle! I did NOT like that!  I am all for being "on time" but with this many people waiting, just open the doors. I LOVE that Royal Caribbean will open the doors early and even Carnival has a system of maintain the chaos leading up to opening the MDR. 

Dinner in the MDR on this night was better overall as the food was a little more to our likely and once again, the service was top notch! And most importantly, the temperature of all of our food was HOT! 

Seafood Cake 
Chris- 3.0 & Kellie 2.5

Shrimp Cocktail 
Chris 2.0- "It was BIG but not much else too it! The sauce was lackluster and it needed something... not sure what!" 

Swordfish
Chris 1.5 & Kellie-1.0
It was barely edible and we each only ate about 2 bites! 

Caribbean Cake 
Kellie- 2.5
It was flavored well but texture was dry. 

Grandma's Chocolate Cake (not pictured) 
Chris- 3.0
This was flavored VERY well and was moist! 

We went back to the room after dinner to take Chris's meds before going to the Main Theater for the Movie Show. This show was a little more entertaining overall than the previous night's show. I enjoyed the Screens showing a lot of movie clips but the performance overall was a little too "karaoke" for my liking!


Night #2 Selfie! 


TIP- I love this Hot Air Balloon Photo Op near Cabaret Lounge. It changes background about every 3 minutes! 

After the show we made our way to the Champagne Bar on Deck 7 to watch some of the dancing in the atrium from the Live DJ. I loved this atrium and the many bars that allowed for people watching. I think after 29 cruises we both agree that MSC Seascape easily has the best and most beautiful atrium of any ship we have sailed- it truly is breathtaking! 


A view of the Atrium from the Champagne Bar! 


Line dancing on the Atrium (Seascape) Bar!

We ended the night, once again, in the Sports Bar for Live Music and a re-watch of the Men's Final Four. We LOVED this Sports Bar and I would love to sail during College Football Season or the Super Bowl as this would be an incredible venue to experience either! 

"Let's Talk Ship"- Day 2 



Despite the dreary weather and being indoors all day, it was a GREAT day aboard the MSC Seascape and the service was impeccable! 

Up Next- Sea Day #2 and "Gala Night" 

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Harmony of the Seas- February 2026








 


Carnival Conquest- 2006

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Thursday, July 17, 2025

The Back to Back- Sea Day #2

 Officer on Deck
July 1, 2025
Sea Day (Atlantic Ocean) 


Sea Days are my FAVORITE! 

Morning
We decided to sleep in a little bit as we were both pretty tired so we did not wake up until nearly 9AM which is very unusual for both of us. We got ready and then had breakfast in the Windjammer. The Windjammer was crowded but not terrible and it did not take long for us to find a table, plus we were able to get freshly squeezed orange juice which is one of my favorite things about Royal Caribbean. 


It's already Tuesday... This cruise needs to slow down! 

After breakfast we went to Café Latitude to people watch until it was time for the Coffee with Officers event. Unfortunately, since this was only a 4 day cruise they did not offer a Top Tier Event for Platinum and above cruisers but they did have a separate opportunity to meet the Cruise Director, Captain and other officers at this event. 

We were able to meet Jamie, the Cruise Director, as well as the Hotel Director, Staff Engineer and the Captain. We love being able to meet each of these higher up crew members and try to get a little more info about life on board a cruise ship. 


We never miss a picture with the CD! 
Jamie was hilarious and we enjoyed him as a Cruise Director! 


It's nice to get a picture with the Captain! 

After the Officers event we made our way to the Schooner Bar for our Morning Trivia. We played 3 different trivia but did not win any of them. We were able to meet a teacher from Florida and we talked for a while about teaching in various states as well as cruising with Royal Caribbean. 

Afternoon
We had lunch in the Main Dining Room and the service was great and very fast but the food was just not up to standard Royal Caribbean fare. I was very disappointed in my entrée but Chris was pleased and would order the Greek Gyro again. We opted to skip dessert as the choices were lacking and this is where Royal drops the ball in the speed of service. 


Mozzarella Sticks-4.0
These were good and worth a double order. 


Shrimp Caesar Salad- 3.5
I had never put shrimp on this before and it was... interesting! 


Butternut squash Risotto- 2.0
For a veggie as powerful and flavorful as butternut squash... This was so bland and to be honest, the risotto was way undercooked. I couldn't even finish it! 

After lunch we went to the outside of Deck 5 and walked around the ship several times before making our way to the helicopter pad at the very front of the ship. Since we were going so slow and the weather was near perfect, the helicopter pad was open and we were able to enjoy the part of the ship alone as so many people do not know it even exists. TIP- Royal Caribbean Vision, Radiance, Voyager and Freedom class ships offer access to the helicopter pad weather permitting. It is a great place for sail away or a sunny day at sea. 


26 cruises and we still LOVE the wake view! 


The seas were SO CALM and just gorgeous! 


I'm the king of the world! 


Hello from the Heli pad! 

We opted to spend some time laying out outside on Deck 5 and we were awoken to an announcement by the cruise director that the pool and the pool deck were closed due to lightening. We decided to try the Vortex Lounge as the "quite hours" were from 2-4 but it was anything but quiet. I am sure the weather had something to do with the noise but we noticed on both cruises seemed to have grown adults blasting videos on their phones. We're talking 50-60 year old's watching reels on their phone at full volume. We found this to be SO RUDE. We opted to go to Schooner Bar and try to get away from it all. 

When we got to Schooner Bar we realized that when the pool and pool deck is closed and that is pretty much all this ship offers for kids and teenagers, said kids and teenagers are EVERYWHERE! This was the most crowded and busiest we saw the Schooner Bar and the Safari Lounge but Raj and Simon were fantastic and did a great job keeping everyone happy. 

It was getting a little loud so we made our way to Deck 11 in the Solarium to get pizza to hold us over until our late dinner in the MDR. TIP- The Jewel of the Seas DOES offer "Sorrento's" style pizza but it is in a separate location on Deck 11 at the Solarium Café. We never really encountered a line and the pizza was always hot and fresh. 

Evening
We showered and got ready for our 2nd formal evening aboard the Jewel of the Seas and then went back to the Schooner Bar for Friends Trivia. I did not win this trivia (one question away) but was awarded a koozie for naming all 6 actors. We stayed for Name that Tune 70s and this was SO MUCH fun as a sing along but we did not win. 

Chris was not feeling well so he went back to lay down and I went to the Shops of the Centrum to get our traditional ship souvenirs and then enjoyed live music in the Centrum until Chris met me right before dinner. TIP- "The Hits" band on the Jewel was fantastic and we really enjoyed listening to them perform! 

Formal Dinner in the Main Dining Room was good but again, the food overall missed the mark in our experience with Royal Caribbean. The service was amazing and we were in and out of the MDR within 90 minutes and for a formal night, that is great.  


The Taste of France Menu 
(usually the 1st formal night menu on 7 day cruises and only formal night on shorter cruises) 


Escargot-2.5
These were missing the toast which was a bummer. 


Beef Tenderloin-3.5
This was cooked well but was delivered just warm, not hot! 


Crème Brulee- 4.0
This was cooked very well and we both enjoyed it! 

After dinner we went to Vintages to enjoy more live music from the Centrum. TIP- I am not a huge fan of the Vintages on Jewel of the Seas. I prefer the "wine only" Vintages found on Oasis class ships as it is isolated and really focuses on wines. The Jewel Vintages was very well decorated and the bartenders were great but it was just another bar at the end of the day. 

We made our way to the late night adults only comedy with the comedian from the previous cruise and he did a great job of making the show adult but didn't just curse the whole time. We enjoyed the show and had hoped to end the night at the Pit Stop but it was closed. In fact, most bars on the Jewel of the Seas closed at midnight. Only the Casino bar stayed open until 1AM. If late night drinking is your thing... the Jewel may not be for you. We called it a night shortly after midnight! 


It's hard to believe we've been married 19 years... But here we are! 


Any day at sea... Is a PERFECT day! 

It was a very CHILL Sea Day and that is PERFECT to us! 

Up Next... Our return to Nassau after 8 years to check out the NEW and IMPROVED port! 

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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Monday, July 14, 2025

The Back to Back- Sea Day #1

 In Slow Motion
June 28. 2025
Sea Day #1 


Sea Days are our FAVORITE! 

Morning
After a decent night's sleep we got ready for the day and made our way to Café Latitudes on Deck 5 for a coffee. TIP- This location serves Starbucks coffee but IT IS included in your Ultimate Beverage Package. While there we noticed some small breakfast items like sandwiches and burritos so we opted to completely forgo the Windjammer and try these breakfast items since we had lunch and dinner specialty reservations. This prompted us to try and not eat in the Windjammer at all this whole cruise... Challenge Accepted. These small breakfast items were actually really good and reminded me of the Café at 270* on the Anthem of the Seas in June 2025. 


Well hello there Saturday... We LOVE YOU! 


Café Latitudes breakfast options... These were a great way to avoid the Windjammer! 
The coffee was lacking a bit in my opinion! 

After breakfast we made our way to the Schooner Bar for the Morning Puzzle followed by 4 different trivia contests. Unfortunately, we did not win any of these but we met new cruise friends and had a great time chatting with them and trying to win these ridiculous trivia questions. We then went to our lunch reservation at Giovanni's Table. 


It's time for Giovanni's Table! I am so excited! 

Afternoon
Once again, Giovanni's was so impressive and we were completely blown away by the food. I swear the lunch may have been even better than the dinner. And as mentioned before, the Mushroom Risotto is delicious and worth every calorie. TIP- Giovanni's lunch is well priced at only $20-25 per person and WELL worth not having to fight the Windjammer.  We left "fat and happy" and then decided to go walking on the outside of Deck 5. 


Giovanni's Table came as if out of NOWHERE and we were so impressed with the food! 


Meat and Cheese Board- 3.5
The meat and cheese board to share was pretty good... We loved the cheese and olives. 


Caprese Salad- 5.0
Seriously... this was SO GOOD! 


Spaghetti Bolognese- 2.0 
The pasta was weird and fat but the sauce was good 
Mushroom Risotto- 5.0+ 
This is the best thing I have had to eat in a LONG TIME (on sea or land). 


Panna Cotta- 4.0
This was really rich but so good! 

We walked several laps around the ship before deciding to lay out in the shade of Deck 5 listening to the ocean go by. Although we noticed not only were the seas calm but we were moving SUPER SLOW. After we laid for about an hour, we decided to check out the map on the TV to see how fast we were going... It turns out, we were going 7 knots or 3 miles per hour. Basically just traveling in a circle as we made our way to Coco Cay. 


This is always my FAVORITE view! 


This right here... calms me even from the biggest anxiety attacks. 
No kidding... I watch this to reduce my blood pressure! 


The elevator door on Deck 3 was shattered... It was not like this early on this day! 

The rest of our afternoon was spent at the Casino. TIP- The Jewel has a TINY casino and doesn't offer very many table games, but the Casino bar has plenty of seating while waiting for a table or slot machine to open!  After about a 20 minute wait, we were able to find 2 spots at the $10 blackjack table where we stayed for nearly 2 hours. Chris got down fairly quick after the 2 hours but I kept going and walked away up, but not by much. Unfortunately, we missed the Friends Trivia but we had fun in the Casino. 

Evening
We went to the Pre-Dinner Trivia in Schooner Bar and once again came close to winning but we did not. We opted to go get ready for dinner and then come back to the Safari Lounge for the Family Feud gameshow. It was formal night and we got dressed in our "semi formal wear" and fit right in. TIP- Royal Caribbean suggest attire but it is not enforced by any means. Nowadays, cruise formal wear is pretty much anything YOU feel comfortable in. I wore a nicer "church/ professional" dress and Chris wore khakis and a button down shirt. No coat and tie needed on Royal- which is nice! 


Formal Night #1... We love the "laid back" Formal vibes on Royal Caribbean! 

After the Family Feud gameshow we went to listen to the piano player in Schooner Bar before our Chops Grille dinner reservation. Chops Grille, as always, was SO good. The food is made to order and is always the best steak at sea. We had a great meal and even got to see the Icon of the Seas and the Carnival Celebration pass by... proving we were going SUPER SLOW! 


The Chops Grille main menu (we were able to order more than one appetizer) 


The Crab Cake- 4.5
This NEVER disappoints and is LOADED with flavor! 


The Shrimp Cocktail- 4.5
Chris LOVED this! 


The Lobster Bisque- 4.0
This is always so good but SO RICH! 


Goat Cheese Salad- 4.5
This is always my favorite part of the meal, it is so light and flavorful and the pecans just make it pop! 


Side Dishes- 4.0
These were SO GOOD. The tater tots were my favorite! 


The Chops Grille dessert menu 


Sky High Apple Pie 4.0
I am not a pie person but this was really good and cooked very well! 


Hello Icon of the Seas! 
Despite being on a VERY small ship with very little to do overall, this just doesn't appeal to me right now! 6K+ passengers and the amount of kids alone just screams "no thank you". Maybe one of these days (and not during the summer). 

After dinner we went to the Comedy show in the Coral Theater and this was a bigger hit than the Tango show but was still a miss in our book. TIP- Royal Caribbean just DOES NOT do comedy well overall. In our opinion and experience, Comedy is the BIGGEST PLUS Carnival has to offer. They do comedy SO WELL! 

We ended our night once again watching cricket in the Pit Stop Sports Bar before heading to bed around 11:30PM. Tomorrow was Coco Cay and we were so excited to explore this private island of Royal Caribbean's on our own. The last time we came to Coco Cay on the Independence of the Seas 2024, we spent the day at the adults only beach club- Hideaway Beach Club so we were excited to see what all Coco Cay has to offer! 


We love Sea Days! 

Up Next... Coco Cay on our own! 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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