I was invited to attend the inauguration of the brand new Carnival Dream in New York City on November 12, 2009. My main host agency, Crown Cruise Vacations, secured some invitations and they generously gave one to me. (Thank you!) The inauguration included a day of activities plus a one-night stay on the ship. Since my husband had to watch our son, I invited my friend, Kim, to attend with me.

The Carnival Dream, docked at Pier 88, NYC

The day started with Kim and me getting car service to Pier 88 in New York City. We were going to drive in but, when we called Carnival, they told us there would be copious amounts of TV and newspaper coverage in attendance, not to mention plenty of upper management. In fact, while the ship holds about 3,646 guests, over 4,100 were invited for this event. About 3,000 of those ended up staying overnight on-board, yours truly included.

We arrived at the pier around 12:30pm. The last time I was at the NYC Port Authority Cruise Terminal, it was not the prettiest of its species. The outdoor facade almost screamed “Welcome to NYC, what are you lookin’ at?” with its cement floors, bad lighting, and security guard glances that could turn your heart to stone. However, on this rainy, cold fall day, we were greeted by the charming people from Carnival and Port Authority. We were escorted to the upper level to check-in and were introduced to a warm, carpeted, brightly lit embarkation area. Also, I heard what sounded like the best public announcement system in all of the city – clear, concise, and at the proper volume. Since I took the PATH train system for many years in the late 80s and early 90s, a good PA system (in any public space) is most impressive to me.

There were different lines for check-in. The longest was for “Travel Agents” and the shortest was for “Bankers and Investors”. Seriously, these people needed their own line? Not that it was even a line. More like a quick twenty steps to the front of the line where they just cut in front of the rest of us. Ha! Well, I suppose if you helped pay for the ship, you should get priority service.

After checkin, we were given some paperwork and a zone card. The zone cards are used to help passengers find seats in the staging area before boarding. Once the cruise personnel were ready to board our zone, they called our number and we proceeded to security. After passing through metal detectors three times (who knew earrings could set them off!), Kim and I made our way onto the ship …

… and thus began our confusion.

Most folks used the normal passenger entrance where they received a detailed itinerary of events for the day, instructions about lunch, and their cabin location. Because it started to rain heavily, and the crew did not want us to get soaked, they sent some of the agents to the crew member’s entrance. Now, if you have never been in the crew area of a ship, I can tell you that it is usually green or beige, and many landmarks throughout it look alike, in sharp contrast to the rest of the ship. From this entrance, we did not receive any paperwork … and thus this skilled cruiser got turned around very quickly.

Our inside cabin

I eventually found a nearby elevator and went straight to Deck 9 (my cabin number was 9329). We were given an inside cabin which we found to be quite roomy. It also included a nice sized bathroom and shower.

After a quick refresh, we knew what to do next. I knew Carnival would offer lunch in the Lido deck buffet. It was already 2:30pm and we were both a bit hungry. Once I figured out which way was aft or forward, I realized it was a simple matter of going one deck up to visit the buffet area, aptly known on the Dream as “The Gathering”. Offerings included The Grand Buffet, Mongolian Station (made to order stir-fry), Grill, Italian Pasta Bar, Salad Bar, Dessert Bar, and I’m sure a few other spots that I missed this time around.

Top to bottom: Club O2, Conference Center, Waterworks, Serenity, and the Fitness Center.

While lunching, I started to notice many visitors holding these unfamiliar papers in red, white and blue tones. That is when I put 2 and 2 together. The inauguration materials were only handed out at the regular entrance! After lunch, I made a beeline for Deck 3 and visited Guest Services to get everything I needed for the day.

By the time I had a schedule in-hand, it was about 3:30pm. I had just 90 minutes to review the “Interactive Trade Show” and visit selected cabins for viewing. However, 4pm was the naming ceremony, and at first I wasn’t sure which one to attempt. I decided that I could always watch the naming ceremony online, so I began to check out various areas of the ship and fill out my itinerary card. For the uninitiated, think of an itinerary card as a scavenger hunt for travel agents. Visit all the areas on the card, turn in the checked/completed card, and you get a bunch of Carnival-branded parting gifts, which in this case included a mini office set (business card holder, pen, keychain) and a cushiony travel bag filled with goodies (eye cover, travel pillow, blanket).

We visited the Cloud 9 Spa (so heavenly!!), Club O2 teen club, Camp Carnival, Fun Hub station, various lounges, Ocean Plaza, The Lanai, Conference Center, Video arcade, Internet Cafe, Water Works, Serenity (an adults only retreat), Art Gallery, Jackpot Casino and, of course, the Lido pools with its Seaside Theater.

We also checked out a Suite cabin, Penthouse Suite, and standard balcony cabin. The Penthouse was nice, but I liked the standard Suite better. The Suite is only 90 square feet smaller and features a better layout than the Penthouse Suite. (My advice: Book the category 11 suite and save a little money.)

Oh … let me tell you about something funny I overheard from another agent as we were in the Penthouse Suite. In the bathroom, there was a toilet and bidet. One agent walked into the bathroom and exclaimed, “Oh look! They have a toilet for women and men!” It took all my self-control not to laugh out loud, and I quietly explained, “It’s a bidet.” She looked at me for a beat and then it hit her: “Ohhhhhh.” LOL!

No, that is not a sink.

Top to bottom: Category 11 suite, Category 12 penthouse, Balcony cabin inside and out

After completing our travels, we decided it was time for some peace and quiet. Yes, peace and quiet. You see, there were so many sales people onboard, and guess what sales people do? They talk! A lot. There was so much chatter everywhere that we were both getting splitting headaches.

Therefore, we decided to head upstairs to the Cloud 9 Spa. They were offering treatments until 10pm that evening, and there’s nothing like a nice, calm, quiet spa session. Kim had a back/neck/shoulder/foot massage while I had reflexology on my feet. It felt so good! Along with the new Spa balcony and Spa inside cabins offering special spa amenities and private access, I think Cloud 9 Spa is going to be very very popular.

Dinner was at The Crimson Restaurant at 7pm. Accent on crimson! Lots of red tones, a bit unusual to see all in one place. I would have liked lighter hues but, again, this is Carnival and they do tend to use loud, rich colors. It’s just part of their overall design. Someone walked up, more than a little inebriated, and asked me point blank: “Do you do cruises only?” I answered yes. Before I could get another word in, she plowed ahead: “I do EVERYTHING. Right now I’m in the middle of a $22,000 European tour, full F.I.T.”

It was at this point that we were 100% certain we did not want to talk shop with any other agents over dinner. Thankfully, Poseidon smiled upon us and we were allowed a table for two. (“Thank you ocean deity!”)

Dinner was … fantastic! I had Strawberry Bisque soup, Spa Fruit Cocktail, Broiled Lobster & Shrimp, and an Apple/Caramel pastry for dessert. The waiters were wonderful too. They even mustered some home-grown Michael Jackson moves to entertain us along the way.

Did I mention that it was open bar for everyone all day long? Yup, I got to have my standard-issue scotch sour with the meal. Yum!

Couples massage room at Cloud 9

After dinner, we went to the main Encore show lounge. As we made our way there, I ran into Mr. John Heald. John is the Senior Cruise Director for Carnival, he writes a blog every day … and I read it every day. This man is great, one of a kind! He is completely politically incorrect yet makes complete (common) sense. He infuses his writing with intelligence, humor, love, and overall fun. He is quite British and has that wonderful dry sense of humor. I realize not everyone gets it, but I sure enjoy it. (He even cracked a joke about the French during the naming ceremony earlier in the day. You can watch the ceremony at Carnival.com. The aforementioned jokes begin around 34 minutes and 20 seconds in.)

Anyway, there he was, surrounded by a mere three people, and I finally got to meet him, easily the highlight of my day. I knew he was going to be busy but, thankfully, he was able to spend a few minutes, enough for me to shake his hand, offer a few kind words, thank him for the great laughs and, of course, pause for a picture.

Nancy D'Andrea and John Heald, Encore Lounge

Kim and I found some great seats in the mezzanine and, after a Marketing talk, we watched Carnival’s newest production “Dancin’ in the Street”. This was (in all caps for deserved emphasis) THE BEST SHOW I HAVE EVER SEEN ON A CRUISE SHIP STAGE. Now, I am from New York and I have seen lots of Broadway and NY theater. This show was a cross between a Broadway musical and a Cirque du Soleil production. Costumes and makeup were perfect and, although I thought the music was a bit loud, it worked well within the show. The theme centered on various types of street dancing from the past 30 years. In order to show true break dancing, Carnival hired six people to demonstrate various forms of breaking. Add a stage length trampoline upstage, plus several skilled tumblers, and you’ve got one huge, high energy, non-stop show.

The band was on a moving platform that lowers to pit level when the show is in progress but then also surface with – and rise above – audience level when the band is performing solo. Everyone in the audience gave the performers a standing ovation, and – wow – did they ever deserve it. The show was about a hour long and nonstop fun. Should you ever travel on the Carnival Dream, go see this show! Consider it a “Topsail Cruises imperative”.

The atrium of the Carnival Dream, in full-tilt party mode

Afterward, some of the breakers entertained us in the main Atrium. Carnival also offered four comedy shows to round out the evening. Two were family-oriented and two were adults-only. We missed all of them due to dinner and the Encore lounge show, plus we were just too tired to stay up for any more entertainment. As an FYI: Tommy Drake and Percy Crews were the comedians and, from what I heard the next morning, they were very good and very funny.

The lido pool and dining area, Deck 10 Aft

Now, even though Kim and I headed up to our cabin to retire, the ship was still rocking (metaphorically) until the wee hours of the morning. Besides the breakers and comedians, Carnival offered live music in various lounges, singalongs at the piano bars, Laser Tag in the main show lounge and, to top it all off, a late night show with well-liked performer Marcus Anthony. Even more fun awaited at the huge outdoor Seaside Theater, where they showed various movies and concerts all day and night including Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Pavarotti, a Welcome Aboard Laser show, three different movies, a Pink Floyd Laser Show (being from NY, this is extra awesome!) and more, all until 2am.

Our cabin steward turned down our beds and left us a towel animal + parting gift. The beds were very comfortable and the new duvet bedding was quite nice.

In the morning, everyone had to be off the ship by 9am. Basically it was “Good Morning! Now, get off.” This is typical with events such as this since, within three hours time, another ship load of passengers (I said ship load) were boarding for a two night “cruise to nowhere”. (Yes, this next group would get to sail for a bit!) We ate a quick breakfast in The Gathering and, as usual, there were so many options. They turned part of the buffet into a full-blown Omelette Station, too.

All in all, we had wonderful time aboard the new Carnival Dream. However, I do have to pause and mention a few things I did not like as much. (Your mileage may vary.)

1) The decor. Yes, I know, this is Carnival. I have sailed Carnival several times already, but I just was not digging this decor. I did like the little jewel theme throughout the ship, but the really rich colors were just overpowering to me. To be fair, I did like the decor in the Serenity (Adults Only) retreat, plus the Cloud 9 Spa … but everything else was just a bit visually “loud” for my tastes.

2) The temperature. Now, this may have been a problem because we were docked, in the cold, with a lot of people onboard. However, except for Deck 10 and higher, it was really really warm on the ship. I found myself stepping outside into 40 degree weather to cool off every now and then. Perhaps, when the ship is sailing and in its normal warmer climate, the HVAC will be just fine.

3) The low ceilings in the dining rooms and in the buffet area. Tall passengers, beware! I guess I’m hooked on larger, open-space dining rooms, but the combination of these lower ceilings with the colors of the ship did not work for me.

Thankfully, none of these things impacted the food, overall service, or entertainment quality. We could tell that the crew gave it their all, and they succeeded in a big way. Everyone was friendly, helpful, and ready to make their best possible impression.

Bottom line: The Carnival Dream is going to be a huge success. Good food, great shows, a wonderful crew and a really fun cruise. You’ll most certainly get your money’s worth!

Carnival Fascination
5 Night Cruise to the Bahamas, visiting Half Moon Cay and Nassau

Missed the previous installments? Here they are: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4.

Today was our final day at sea. The seas were a bit rough and the sky was overcast, but we still had warm temperatures and no rain.

Joe and Lex face off at ping-pong on the Verandah deck.

The day started like previous ones: Lex playing basketball with his dad and grandfather. Today, Lex also played ping-pong with Joe and basketball with other kids too. While they played, Grandma and I played trivia games on deck. Afterward, we all watched an ice carving demonstration where an artist from Indonesia turned a 300 pound block of ice into a beautiful swan sculpture. I continue to be amazed at how quickly these guys can make these carvings. This time it took a mere twenty minutes!

After the ice carving, Grandma and I played “Sea Feud”. Think “Family Feud” but with vacation and cruise themed questions. We went up against a group that really, really, REALLY liked to win. It was a bit creepy, how gung-ho they were about beating us, especially since there wasn’t even a prize for this game. Anyway, we lost by one round and, as you can imagine, the other team was beyond happy! I’m glad we made their day and all but, honestly, it was just a game!

Up next was high tea in the piano bar. I love high tea. Love it, love it, love it. I love everything about it – from the little cucumber tea sandwiches, to the petite pastries, to the fine selections of tea. I love sitting for a little while, enjoying live music, feeling just a tad more civilized than usual, even if just for that moment. It was a truly lovely tea … and it was a shame that only twenty passengers showed up to enjoy it. I know we are on a “fun” ship but this tea should be promoted more. It is one of the true joys of cruising.

Our group soon met back at the cabins and prepared for our final on-board dinner with our table mates. We talked about various topics including Europe, traveling around England, how we were all getting home and, of course, what we thought of the cruise. We all agreed that, although this ship may not be as nice as some of the ships, you could not beat the price.

That's right … Joe turned TWO!

At dessert time, Joe’s parents surprised him with a cake for his birthday (November 5th). It served all ten of us. Very nice, and very chocolatey. We sat there until almost 8:05pm talking about our days, saying our goodbyes. I think they had to practically kick us out of the dining room (politely, of course!) since they had to get ready for the 8:15pm sitting. Edy, our headwaiter from Indonesia, was extremely competent at his job and we were so glad to have him at our table.

At night, Grandma and I went to the “Hey Mambo” show while the guys watched the World Series in Bogart’s Café. The show was GREAT! The costumes alone were unbelievable and it was non-stop action for about one hour. Again, the band was fantastic and the singers carried the show quite well.

We met up with the guys back at the cabin and watched the Yankees beat the Phillies to win the World Series. (Yeah! Hey, I’m originally from NY so I root for them.) While the game was on, I packed everything and put out only what was needed for Thursday morning as we disembark.

Tomorrow, we arrive back at Jacksonville, Florida, and then we start our long drive home to New Jersey. Overall, it was a nice cruise vacation, but I will sure look forward to sleeping in my own bed tomorrow night.

Thanks for reading!

A final towel animal before the fourteen-hour drive home to New Jersey. Speedy/safe travels!

Carnival Fascination
5 Night Cruise to the Bahamas, visiting Half Moon Cay and Nassau

Missed the previous installments? Here they are: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3.

Well, I lied. I ended up getting off the ship in Nassau.

A traditional Bahamian traffic coordinator. Apparently they salute the mopeds as they drive by.

My brother wanted a special type of Southern Comfort called “Southern Comfort Reserve” and, apparently, it is available in the Caribbean for a very good price. As the fantastic younger sister that I am, I debarked around 12:30pm and visited several different liquor stores looking for this special “Reserve” alcohol. While visiting a Baccardi outlet, the staff was kind enough to call around to other stores to see if they carried it and – guess what – no one did. That’s right, I walked around for two hours, in the heat, with my mother-in-law, and ended up not finding it at all. Aren’t I a great sister? Ha!

While Grandma and I were sweating our way through the streets of Nassau, Joe, Grandpa, and Lex did some fun activities together. They played basketball (including a half-hour of Lex working on his soccer bet; he reached the backboard and rim from the opposite end), mini-golf (Lex won – one over par), and swimming in the salt water pool (Lex got wet – yep, no surprise there). We met up with them on the Lido deck, at which point the grandparents and Lex entered the hot tub while Joe and I rested on lounge chairs and enjoyed the gentle Bahamian breezes. Grandparents are great!

The Lido deck, complete with water slide.

Dinnertime was very informative. We spent about 20 minutes talking with our headwaiter Edy, from Indonesia. We learned about his schedule (easily 15+ hour days), his employment with Carnival since 1987, the opportunities they offer employees onboard, and much more. He also danced for us again – along with all the other waitstaff – during dessert. Overall, a great meal, good conversation, and fun entertainment.

At the evening show, we enjoyed the comedian very much. The band is still fantastic and every single seat was filled – standing room only. I must say that this ship has some of the best entertainment I have ever seen on a short cruise.

After sailing, the shops opened up and I inquired with the onboard duty free liquor store about my hunt for Southern Comfort “Reserve”. He said, while they do serve it onboard at the bars, there was no way we could purchase our own bottle. Boo Hiss! So close, and yet so far.

Tomorrow is our last day at sea and I am looking forward to relaxing, trivia, afternoon tea, and some nice family fun before our very very long drive home on Thursday.

Towel Animal Festival!

Carnival Fascination
5 Night Cruise to the Bahamas, visiting Half Moon Cay and Nassau

Missed the previous installments? Here they are: Day 1, Day 2.

Today we arrived at Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private beach island resort. Since Carnival owns Holland America, they get to use it too. Half Moon Cay has white sandy beaches, lovely blue water and, of course, calypso music. Lots of calypso music. So much calypso music. (Have I mentioned that they play lots of calypso music??)

Just a small portion of the expansive beach on Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.

The D’Andrea clan boarded the tender (which was broadcasting – yes – calypso music) around 11am and headed to the island. Some advice: Unless you are going on an organized shore excursion, go a little later to the island for two benefits. 1) No line getting onto the tender, and 2) You very likely don’t have to pay for one of those “clamshell” beach shades. (Earlier arrivals paid $17.) When asked where we could rent one, the islanders replied: “Just take one, they are all paid for already.” So we did!

Looking out from within one of many clamshell cabanas along the beach. Seats two (or three if you squeeze in another beach recliner). These were free of charge after 11am. They also offered house cabanas for the low low price of US$1,400 (houses eight).

I forgot to pack Lex’s sandcastle building pails (!) so he decided he just wanted to play in the ocean water. It was so lovely! Grandpa and Joe spent a lot of time with Lex while Grandma and I stayed in the shade. However, it soon became very hot so I ended up going into the water for a little bit to cool off. Perfect weather, cool breeze, refreshing drinks and, oh yeah, more calypso music than they knew what to do with.

One thing I did not like about Half Moon Cay was the Island BBQ offered to the cruise passengers. The menu included salads, chicken, burgers, hot dogs, and basic desserts. It wasn’t the selection of food so much as it not being that tasty. Now, I know what a decent picnic should taste like. This was not it! They need to take care not to overcook the food, offer trays to carry said food, move the beverages closer to the buffet line, and – please – get some real rolls for the burgers and hot dogs. Seriously. Those enriched store-bought rolls for the meats were just awful!

Serving up a $14 drink in a carved coconut shell.

After a day in the sun, we got cleaned up and ready for the evening. Dinner was fine and everyone enjoyed their meal. Toward the end, the waiters decided to dance for us. You see, singing in Italian the previous day wasn’t enough, so they danced to “Jai Ho” from the movie “Slumdog Millionaire”.

OK, now here is a little secret you might not know. In addition to being a cruise agent, I am also a certified dance instructor and have been teaching at night for over twenty years. These past few weeks, I happen to be teaching my advanced jazz girls a routine to “Jai Ho” so, when the song came on, I started doing the arm movements while seated.

Naturally, one of the waiters saw me and invited me to dance with the rest of them.

So there I was, doing a Bollywood routine with a group of Indonesian, Eastern European, and South American waiters in the middle of the Sensation dining room during dessert. After applause from passengers around me, I returned to my table to hear my nine year-old son Lex declare, “Mom, I don’t know you.” LOL! It was a fun moment for all of us.

That night, we went to our Carnival past passenger cocktail party. This is a standard event on many cruise lines where they offer all returning passengers complimentary cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, musical entertainment, and a chance to win some nice gifts. We didn’t win anything, but we had a nice time and enjoyed ourselves. We also got to watch Joe’s mom dance on stage, with about a hundred of her closest friends … to (gasp!) the Electric Slide.

After the cocktail party, I decided to play some poker in the casino while the rest of the gang left to watch game five of the World Series up by the dessert bar. We parted ways and I spent the next three hours playing all variations of poker. I truly love playing cards but I love it even more when I am on the ocean. I won a little bit over the course of the evening so, in the eyes of the gambling gods, that is considered winning big.

I returned to the cabin to see Joe and Lex, now back from upstairs, watching the end of game five. I wish Carnival offered the game on a super big screen like many other cruise lines do, but I think because this is an older ship, they just haven’t gotten around to that upgrade yet. (Perhaps soon! We hear this ship is going into dry dock in early 2010 for a several million dollar renovation.)

Tomorrow is a stop in Nassau, Bahamas. We will not debark this time around as we have been here before, we’ve already pet the dolphins, played with the stingrays, and visited the beaches. Hopefully many people will go ashore though. Then the on-board pools – if they aren’t closed for cleaning – will be empty for us to use! (Also, we simply have to try out the water slide.) More tomorrow.

'nuther Towel Animal.

Carnival Fascination
5 Night Cruise to the Bahamas, visiting Half Moon Cay and Nassau

Missed the previous installments? Here they are: Day 1.

Sleeping in went as planned, and it was truly lovely. Everyone else was up and out the door by 9:30am, but I was – happily – not ready until 11:15am. I met everyone up on the Verandah deck where Lex, Joe and Grandpa played basketball together. They spent about 30-45 minutes shooting hoops and getting some exercise in the sun. Afterward, Lex spent a good thirty minutes applying his soccer skills, trying to kick (yes, kick) the basketball in from across the court. He got close! I have a feeling he’ll try this again soon, as he has now established a standing bet with his father.

Lex kicks another basketball toward the goal. I mean net.

Next, we went to lunch (a.k.a. my breakfast) at the Lido buffet where we met Kaz from Poland. He took to Lex very quickly and spent a lot of time with him. He joked around about soccer (“football”), pirates, and his accent, all while servicing our table. This is one of those nice things about cruising: Most crew members, no matter what their job, are very friendly and happy to be where they are. They work very long days and are quite thankful for their employment. I will be sure to mention Kaz on the comment card toward the end of the cruise. Even Lex turned to me after the lunch and said, “I like him. He’s alright.” Coming from a nine year old, that’s a huge compliment!

During the day, we set about the ship attending various activities. We checked email, Lex played dodge ball up in Camp Carnival, I played a little 3-card Poker, then some “Millionaire” trivia, browsing the Carnival shops, a nap … all part of our “fun day at sea”. Overall, a very relaxing day.

Passengers make their way to the dining rooms

Tonight’s dinner was formal night or “Cruise Elegant” per Carnival. We dressed in our “Sunday best” and headed for the Sensation dining room. On the menu was lobster. I mention this because Carnival always features lobster on their menu at least once during a cruise. Not all cruise lines do this and it bothers me. I even know of another cruise line that charges extra (in the dining room no less!) for filet mignon and lobster. Thankfully, Carnival still offers this and all their other better quality meats at no extra charge. They even added four large shrimp so I was extremely happy with my formal night meal, as was everyone else at my table.

Speaking of which, we did not sit alone this time. We were partnered with five other passengers from England, Spain, and Scotland. Lovely, lovely people enjoying a small family reunion.

For dessert, something interesting happened. Out of ten people, six had birthdays! (No joke. They really did.) Joe’s birthday is November 5th but everyone from the other family celebrated birthdays too. The waiter was very funny. He brought a piece of cake (with lit candle) for each person, sang Happy Birthday each time, and paused in between each one, making each birthday announcement funnier than the last. By the third chorus of Happy Birthday, Lex was roaring with laughter, and folks around the table began craning their necks to see what was going on. We had no idea we were going to sing so many times. Our dessert was so drawn out, we were the last to leave the dining room, while the waitstaff set about their preparations for the next seating.

Carnival takes great pride in their elevator floor indicators, created by some of the finest opthamologists in the world.

After dinner, Lex and Joe left to watch game four of the World Series, while I went to the evening show with my in-laws. Tonight’s show was a 1980′s review with singers, dancers, and a live band. I normally don’t like cruise line shows too much but I loved this one! The band was fantastic. Bianca, the lead vocalist, should just make her way to Broadway and forget about singing on cruise ships. The audience was bopping and singing and cheering. They even brought two break dancers onboard, Omen and Grizzy, and they had the stuff. None of this super polished “So You Think You Can Dance” type of dancing. We’re talking traditional break dancing moves. They brought the house down. I hope those two present a show all by themselves this week. They were that entertaining to watch.

Tomorrow, we arrive at Half Moon Cay, located on a small island in the Bahamas. We plan to go ashore as Lex wants to build sandcastles. I am already getting the sunblock out. Till tomorrow …

Another towel animal! Only this time, there's Webkinz company, courtesy of Grandma.

Carnival Fascination
5 Night Cruise to the Bahamas, visiting Half Moon Cay and Nassau

The D’Andrea family is back cruising!

We last saw my in-laws in October 2008 while cruising the Mediterranean. Since prices have been so low this year, we decided to take another cruise. After some research, I found a great deal on the Carnival Fascination out of Jacksonville, Florida. This worked especially well for said in-laws, who live in Georgia. As for us, we had a little trip ahead of us, but we figured it would be fine. Compared to airfare, the train, long-term parking or limo service for either, we would do our best to keep things economical.

The road to Jacksonville is paved with … well … asphalt, mostly.

We left New Jersey on October 30th around 11:15am … and arrived in South Carolina at the Comfort Inn and Suites around 2:30am, the next day. See, we planned to arrive around midnight, but you know what they say about best laid plans. In a nutshell, Virginia continues to baffle me regarding their HOV setup. Seriously, why have one entrance just south of D.C. when cars are piling onto I-95 South for twenty-plus miles? We saw plenty of HOV-eligible cars, unable to cross over, while there were only a handful of cars zipping past in the HOV section. I would love for someone to rationalize this design. Please, I’m all ears.

Moving on! One and a half sleep cycles later we were back on the road – around 9:00am – en route to Jacksonville. While it is a long drive, time approaches more of a standstill in the southern part of the US when the speed limit is upwards of 70 mph or more. I find it amusing that, in a construction zone, signs are posted advising to “Slow Down: 60 mph”. 60!

By 12:15pm we had arrived at the port and quickly located Grandma and Grandpa D’Andrea. They were thrilled to see us and my son was beyond thrilled to see them. Instant playmates!

The Carnival Fascination, docked in Jacksonville, Florida. (Joe's parents are at lower-left.)

After passing three security check points, at last, we were onboard. Our cabins were still being prepared so we headed up to the Lido deck for some lunch. It was a normal debarkation lunch with lots of salads, drinks, and luggage.

Yup. Luggage.

Because we weren’t the only ones waiting for our cabins, just about everyone had their carry-on luggage around their tables. I can honestly say that having lunch on debarkation day is not the best time. I would rather have the main dining room open for a more “civilized” lunch, but I know Carnival does not offer that. Perhaps because of all the luggage …

A few hours later, the cabins were ready, and everyone started to unpack. We took an inside cabin this time around and, with Carnival, that’s perfectly fine. Carnival’s inside cabins are still at least 185 square feet – a really nice size. Add in a flat screen TV, brand new mattresses, a much larger bathroom and one of the biggest showers for an inside cabin I have ever seen, and you’ve got some decent living quarters for a five-day cruise. The Fascination underwent a major overhaul a little while ago, and it shows. (There is even a really nice water slide atop the main pool now.)

Joe (my husband) took Lex (my son) for the requisite trip to Camp Carnival, registered for the week, and learned about all the Halloween activities.

Lex (as Young Obi-Wan) uses The Force to keep the photographer at bay.

After that, it was time for our muster station drill. Carnival has revamped the way they do this drill, and it was GREAT! Instead of everyone piling on deck, life jackets on, standing in 90-degree Fahrenheit heat, listening to someone explain over a distorted speaker what to do during an emergency for fifteen minutes, they have now moved everything inside. It worked perfectly. We sat in the main show lounge, life jackets in hand, and listened to our esteemed cruise director, Felipe, instruct us. It was the quietest muster station drill I have ever been to – and I have been to twenty of them. People really, really listened! No loud talking, nobody drinking, no unruly passengers. Everyone was very respectful of the crew members and – honestly – it was very impressive. I have never seen such an attentive crowd in all my cruises. Kudos to the passengers and to Carnival!

After the drill, we set about trying various things around the ship: spa raffles, internet access (a bit of a challenge, since the internet admin missed the ship and they had to set everything up remotely from MTN in New Jersey), meet fellow passengers, and so on. All the while, Lex played and played and played with his grandparents – an all-around win-win-win!

While trick-or-treating on the ship, Lex, dressed as Young Obi-Wan Kenobi, pauses for a brief photo op with every camp counselor he can find.

Our 6pm dinner was a bit rushed as we wanted to attend some special Halloween activities for the kids around 7:15pm. M&M Mars and Carnival put together a sweet little promotion. Kids could go trick or treating all over the ship, using a treasure map as our guide. (Mars supplied the sweets. Carnival supplied camp counselors in costume.) The map, when followed in order, had you walking up and down the stairs for about 25 minutes while looking for counselors with bits of candy to hand out. Lots of fun!

The hunt finished in the Passage to India lounge, where all the kids competed in a costume contest. Lex placed third in his division, with the “Scream” kid placing first. Seriously? Why does this kid, who is under age 11, know who the “Scream” character is?! (It must have been the fake blood running down the face. Seriously. It was pretty creepy!) Lex was young Obi-Wan Kenobi (from Star Wars – The Clone Wars), and even he thought that the winner as a bit past PG-13 for him.

Because of Halloween, we attended “The Longest Welcome Aboard Show Ever” clocking in at about 90 minutes! First, the Carnival dancers and singers entertained us. Next, the cruise director and staff said their hellos. That was fine, but what took up the most time was the adult costume contest. About thirty people made finals. I was impressed that they not only dressed up, but did so along with packing for a cruise and getting to the ship. Some of the costumes were very elaborate and clearly took a lot of work and thought. The winners were unbeatable: An entire family dressed as the Beverly Hillbillies and acted out each part to perfection. They stayed in character at all times, had full make-up, wigs, clothing, the works. Needless to say, they won tons of candy, champagne, tote bags, robes, towels, etc.. In short, we had lots of fun at the show – even though it didn’t end until around midnight.

Luckily, Daylight Saving Time was ending soon, so we got to turn our clocks back one hour. Yeah!

Sunday is a day at sea so I am looking forward to sleeping in and having some nice family fun on this Carnival ship. Get it? “Fun” ship? I know, “insert groan here”. Stay tuned for more …

Towel Animals-R-Us!

Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas
9 Night Cruise to Bermuda, St. Martin, St. Thomas, and San Juan

Missed the previous installments? Here they are: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8.

Hey! Where'd everybody go? They've gone to BINGO!

I got up early to play morning bingo, and decided to splurge on one of those fabulous electronic bingo devices where you get 30 “cards” and everything is more or less done for you. These handhelds were great! They alerted you to which cards were closest to winning, how many numbers you needed – just watching the display was entertainment enough! During one of the games, I was one number away and the only one standing in the theater. (You stand when you’re one number away from winning.) I was booed loudly for being on the verge of winning. Ah, the love. Four numbers later, someone else stood up and she ultimately won. However, no one won the Jackpot, so that amount was rolled over to the afternoon session.

The entrance to Lex's trusty, expansive hideaway.

Throughout the afternoon, the ship staff pushed the Final Jackpot Bingo. People that never played bingo were buying packages, the jackpot was so high. About 1,500 people played the final round. Lisa, Mary, and I bought the fancy bingo devices. We were sure that, between the 90 cards across the three of us, one would win (and share). Alas, it was not to be. Lisa came closest with only two numbers to go in the final cover-all game, but there was only one winner. She was ecstatic and her family was jumping for joy. It was fun to watch someone be so happy. Sure, it would have been better if I was the one being so happy, but that’s OK – it was all good fun.

This isn't the dining room, but it's just outside of it on Deck 5!

Before dessert was served, the entire wait staff, head waiters, maitr’d, and beverage waiters all sang songs and entertained us. Our table was next to the third level balcony of the dining room, and we all had a nice view of the main stairs. Just as the show was about to begin, this BIG man walks up and asks, “Can I get in there?” I said “Sure!”, thinking he was just going to get a quick glimpse or a picture. What does he do? He stays there in front on me and Lisa, turns on his camcorder, and then, HE BENDS OVER! Well, we all started laughing nonstop. I even exclaimed loud enough for his camcorder mic: “Oh, he did NOT just do that?!?” and Mary answered “Yes he did!” Joe realized what happened and calmly walked up behind the guy, standing one inch away. He proceeded to contribute a subtle potpourri of effects, rejoinders, and other sounds to his video masterpiece, a one man foley team. By this point, the three of us ladies were crying, we were laughing so hard.

After dinner, we attended our final round of Ultimate Trivia. We had 32 points and the leading team had 39. Well, at last, we totally rocked the final round with 16 points out of 23, bringing our total to 48 points. We just missed third place! The winning team scored 54 points, but we were very proud of ourselves for sprinting ahead as well as we did.

The next day, Lex hatches a plan to pull his luggage along without walking.

Overall, we had a wonderful, fun time on our trip. I truly wish I could stay on longer, but life goes on. I have a lots of work to take care of, family to visit and, of course, fireworks for the 4th of July.

Thanks for reading!

Freshly pressed!

Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas
9 Night Cruise to Bermuda, St. Martin, St. Thomas, and San Juan

Missed the previous installments? Here they are: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7.

You would think that, after having so many relaxing days on this cruise, we wouldn’t want to sleep late this time. Perish the thought! We slept until 11 am. Besides, the curtains make it so dark in our cabin that it’s easy to lose all concept of time.

I missed morning trivia (again) and early afternoon trivia (again). We did make a second afternoon trivia game but, as usual, did horribly. Repeat after me: There are ten Canadian provinces, three US territories, and the Atlantic Ocean has the highest salinity of all the oceans. (You’d THINK we knew all that already, but nooooo! C’mon, give us more logos.)

The Original Ocean Hamburger

The food was traditional Johnny Rockets, including the fries, which are different than those served in the main dining room and buffet. Even the burgers were Johnny Rockets-sized vs. the normal (smaller) ones offered elsewhere on the ship.

Bingo Ladies Are Go! (L-R: Lisa, Mary, Nancy)

With one Bingo session over, and Lex now hooked, we proceeded to Adventure Ocean and played “Family Prize Bingo.” I kid you not, this was bingo for kids … and we won! Lex received a lovely stuffed octopus named “Inky” – the Royal Caribbean mascot. Lex was thrilled and wants to play bingo again and again and again! Oh boy.

Tonight being formal night, we went to dinner at the buffet to keep things casual. I would like to point out that, with all respect to the executive chef, the overall food has been merely OK. However, three things have been GREAT: The sushi at Windjammer buffet, the “Make your own pizza” station (also at Windjammer), and the Seattle’s Best coffee throughout – good and strong, no dishwater business.

In the evening, with Lex at Adventure Ocean, the four of us went to the “Liars Club Game Show”. Perhaps you’ve seen this before on 70′s game show reruns, where they give the audience a word that you have likely never heard of before. Four of the cruise staff proceed to explain, in detail, their “definition” of each word, and you guess which answer is correct. The words, of course, are ridiculous, for example: “clinchpoop”.

Joe said the shower stalls remind him of something out of Woody Allen's 'Sleeper'.

Finally, we got to see Lisa and Mary’s balcony cabin. How very nice!! It was larger than our little ocean view cabin. And – get this – their cabin steward name? Brown. Their running tag line of the cruise: “What can Brown do for you?” Ha!

Tomorrow is another day at sea, then lots and lots of packing!

'Arf arf!'

Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas
9 Night Cruise to Bermuda, St. Martin, St. Thomas, and San Juan

Missed the previous installments? Here they are: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6.

Remember what I wrote about hoping the heat would hold off? Well, today we were in San Juan … and it was hot, hot, hot … and what did I schedule for my family? A three hour walking tour of two fortresses. ¡Ay, caramba!

El Morro from very very far away.

The two fortresses were “El Morro” (Castillo de San Felipe del Morro) and Castillo de San Cristobal. I found El Morro far more interesting than San Cristobal since El Morro is the oldest fort in all of the Americas, not just North America. It was built in 1539 and used by the Spanish for almost 400 years. There was a brief occupation by the British, then the Dutch tried to invade. Not until 1898, after the Spanish-American War, did San Juan become a commonwealth of the United States.

Plenty of steps for the whole family at El Morro.

Segways? We don't need no stinkin' Segways! Who are we kidding, that would have been great, if only we took the Segway tour!

Once onboard, we cleaned up, got a quick bite to eat (plus ice cream!), then completely relaxed. Joe and Lex went miniature golfing. I attended another Meteorology seminar. This time, it was about how the weather affected a variety of historical events.

Joe and Lex met me for Big Band Name That Tune before dinner. We only got 12 out of 30 correct, and we had to name not only the song, but the artist! We had fun, but I’m sure I would have been happier answering questions about a different musical era.

We met Lisa and Mary for dinner and they told us about their day in the Puerto Rican rainforest. In short, very lovely and quite hot. ’nuff said.

Speaking of trivia from a different era: After dinner, we all headed to 70′s Disco Name That Tune. Very short snippets – no lyrics. I guess we just stink at trivia on this cruise (except for identifying logos). Even with all four of us, we only identified 9 out of 20. The worst part was, once I knew the answer, I could sing the entire song. Lisa and Mary, being of the NKOTB era, only knew “I’m Coming Out” because it was on a commercial. (Auugh! I’m dating myself, aren’t I.)

Lex had fun at Adventure Ocean but did not stay late tonight. He wanted to rest and just hang out in the cabin for a bit, so I left Joe and Lex there while I went to The Quest Game Show.

Quest, as done by Royal Caribbean, is one of the best game shows on the ocean. It involves complete audience participation with all inhibitions thrown out the window. It is a blast and should not be missed by any adult. (Yes, it’s an adult only event. This being a family blog, if you really want to know what it’s about, just contact me.)

Tomorrow is a day at sea and I am truly looking forward to sleeping in. Good night!

Towel Animals! We dig 'em.

Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas
9 Night Cruise to Bermuda, St. Martin, St. Thomas, and San Juan

Missed the previous installments? Here they are: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5.

The view from our window: US Customs, St. Thomas

We left our ship to board the Island Girl Ferry, destination St. John. Our ferry host (from Wisconsin) informed us about the various islands around St. Thomas and how the inhabitants deal with everyday life. Things like traveling from St. John to St. Thomas for school each day. These kids don’t hope for snow days. They hope for inclement weather days! Also, no snakes. Why? Well, see, the mongoose were brought in to deal with the rats, except rats are nocturnal, and mongoose aren’t. So the mongoose ate all the snakes instead. Now they have a lot of mongoose … oh, and they still have the rats … but hey – no snakes! (Cue music + “The More You Know” logo.)

St John from above

St. John is gorgeous. They have the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. Thank you to Laurance Rockefeller for turning most of this island into a National Park. His Caneel Bay Resort is definitely on my to-do list.

Lex and Joe at Maho Beach/Bay

By the end of the tour, my son declared: “I am going to live here.” A few minutes later that turned into: “I am going to own a hotel here.” I think Lex has finally understood what paradise looks like! If anyone gets a chance to go to St. John, take it.

St John Trunk Bay - There Will Be Snorkeling

Back on the ship, we freshened up and relaxed. I was so relaxed that I easily nodded off to sleep. This is very unusual for me but, I think with the early rise, the 4+ hour excursion, and the heat, I just needed to rest … and so I did, right up to dinner time. I missed the trivia, the poolside fun, the afternoon cocktails. Yep, it was siesta city for Nancy. Zzzzzzz.

Arrrrgh!

The adults ended up visiting the Schooner Bar, playing trivia (still not doing well – 10 out of 20 this time), and watching some on-stage game shows. Yes, I had another Lava Flow. Yippee!

I picked up Lex at 11 pm and we all headed to bed. It was a long, wonderful, fun day here in St. Thomas and St. John. I do hope I return to these islands soon as they were just so lovely.

Tomorrow is our final Caribbean stop: San Juan. We have scheduled a long morning walking tour so, hopefully, the heat will hold off until we return to the ship.

C'mon, this is an easy one.