Friday, April 10, 2015

Day 4 : I'm bring my bananas ..I'll bring mine too !

Day 4

I'm bringing my banana..and I'll bringing mine too !

Good morning ! Good Afternoon!

It's 11:15am and I'm just waking up from a much needed good night of sleep finally ! Ship wasn't rocking so much last night .

Late night in Boleros.. Closed the place down ! Our waiter Eric is so nice and his drinks are heavenly !

He's going on to China when the ship leaves NJ at the end of May . I think he's the first person we've asked that says he was going .

It's interesting to watch a ship in transition . Can't say that I've noticed this before ... Staff are being trained . And I'm noticing a lack of concern (?) is that the right word ? Maybe nonchalance about some .

But they are working double time . They all seemed hurried , rushed and generally pleasant .. But tired . Like they can't keep pace . This is a hard life . Kudos to our current cabin Steward Rownena and former Cabin Steward Nicole because it feels like they care 😄

Our last cabin steward Nicole on Liberty of The Seas is working this ship on deck 11 and we had the chance to meet up with her for a brief minute yesterday . It was nice seeing her . Social Media definitely connects you in ways never before . She's not going to China . She'll remain here and we might even see her on our next cruise !

Sitting on my balcony now while bestie is in the shower. Did I say my sister Big Momma got her own cabin ? She's so spoiled lol. Then so am I cause I'm not liking that I'm not in a suite . No choice on this cruise ...they were sold out 2 years ago when we booked ! Yeah I'm a suite snob.

We will in all likely book our next cruise before we leave this ship for 2 years from now .

I love the water .. It's calming and reflective and gives me a sense of peace .

Grateful that my knee is doing wonderful and I'm sure all this walking is great for it .

The swelling each night is down right ugly but my regime is the same .. Exercises morning and night .. Heat, ice and elevate at night . No water how much alcohol ... Lol

So we seem to have missed breakfast today . Oh well . I prefer breakfast but there's a couple of restaurants that are free that we haven't hit yet for lunch and I'm craving a salad . That's a good thing right ?

I so wanted to live blog this trip but didn't have enough time yesterday to post days 1,2,3 .

I can't imagine how long you need in theme parks anymore since the lines are so long . Express passes cost more loot and we were in the park 6 hours yesterday and did exactly 3 things . Still psyched about my wand ! We didn't get on either Harry Potter ride . Honestly not enough time .

We don't arrive in the Bahamas until 2pm . The captain must be doing a slow crawl from Florida ....

Let me get dressed and continue this later ..

Lunch at Divinely Decadence pool side by the Solarium. Not much to rave about and it used to be a paid restaurant .

Pool side and dranking .. and of course they have no bananas . At some point a man hears us and we are laughing and getting at Eric since he has no bananas . My sis wants a banana daquiri . Next they we know the guy comes back with a banana for her ! And now we are laughing about bananas . LOL .

At some point we will get off to buy alcohol in Bahamas . We've docked and are her till 11:30pm .

After several pina coladas we head to shore .. Only to buy alcohol . Specifically white Henny since we can't get it home . Why is it almost 4:00pm when we get off the ship ? Where did the day go ? Truth is it was almost noon by time we made it to eat lunch .

Eating a snack now and dinner is at 9:15 at one of the specialty restaurants .

One thing I noticed is you can't eat all day on this ship . Bestie says to give staff a break but I seriously doubt that was motivation. Room service is no longer free at night and the cage promenade closes at 3am. Just an observation .

After my snack went to lie down and it's time for dinner . I'm tired . My legs hurt . I've done really good but my knee and ankle are a hot mess right now.

I'm sure we will wind up at Boleros tonight .. But now feeling like I want any alcohol .

Tomorrow is a pool day . Till 1:45pm which I have my spa and then I'll go back out .

Dinner tonight is at Silk a Pan Asian restaurant and frankly by far the best looking restaurant so far .


Well...

Not impressed at all ... Family style ? And what if this isn't what I wanted .

Something is entirely wrong when the they bring out food Before you order it . What about bestie with food allergies ? SMH.

I left the restaurant thinking I need sleep .

I left bestie and sis and headed to the stateroom not feeling well at all . Too much alcohol and food .

Did my exercises and heat and ice my knee and off to bed I went .

More tomorrow ...

Day 3: Winggardem Nerveosa ...

Day 3 - Harry Potter here we come ! Winggardem Nerveosa...

Pre-Dawn

Last night was rough .. Sea sick for the first time ever . OMG . I thought it was too much alcohol . LOL .

The seas were rough and I really never experienced this before . I always travel with Dramamine and this time I didn't . Made it through the night and bestie got sick too .

We were both much better when we made it to the calm waters of Florida and it's beautiful ! 83 degrees ! Yay!

My hands are raw with all the Purell all over the ship . Last week norovirus broke out on the ship and this week ... The cleanest place ever ! You have to wash your hands everywhere and then use Purell . Not complaining at all . But my poor hands are already dry ...

We arrive at Port Canerval at 1:00pm . Our tour bus leaves at 1:30pm it's an hour to Universal . The Park hopper pass is expensive for 1 day but we have only one goal to see Harry Potter! So we are going to Universal and Islands of Adventure . I'm a fan and I haven't been to the park ! Lines lines lines ! Thanks to my co-worker Patti who's here all the time for the park layout ! You can spent too much time walking the wrong direction here!

We start at Universal and go though Diagon Alley ! I'm such a kid ! Only walked though and took loads of pics since the lines for the shops were so long. But the fire breathing dragon on top of Gringotts bank ! That scared the bejesus out of us ! LOL The heat was intense !!

After spending so little time there we go next door to Kings Cross Station and actually board the Hogwarts Express train that goes to Islands of Adventure . The train was worth the experience ! You simply have to give props to Disney ! They have a way of making everything come to life !

Then the dreaded rain showers that always happen midday in Florida and went to the Three Broomsticks for lunch. I did start to get a bit nervous as the cobblestones are slippery when wet . And no I didn't bring my umbrella or a jacket .

For all my HP fans , I brought a wand and a quill ! It was great to see all of the kids dressed like The movies !

I had fun and I'm grateful my knee held up .I did use the cane on the way back since I was really tired by then .

Six hours in the park and we did only HP. I don't know how folks stay in the park all day and do lines . This is madness . And lots of grandparents doing these long lines with the kids .

Boarded the bus back at 8:00pm and posted pics today and wanted to get the blog posts done . Oh well .

No formal dinner reservations tonight so we are in Cafe Promenade eating sandwiches .

Sail away is at 11:00pm .We arrive in Bahamas tomorrow at 2pm .

I plan to sleep late tomorrow too :)

We are at the Boleros Bar .. Will make it back to the Bionic Bar tomorrow ...

Can you say I'm sleepy and my knee is tired ? Heat and ice and exercises tonight ...

Bon Voyage!

Day 2: Bionic Bar !



Day 2 Sea Legs ? Bionic Bar!

So what to do on a ship heading to Florida and it's only 66 degrees out ? Sleep late ...

Just made breakfast at 11 and trying to find bacon..bacon ..bacon .. Gotta get up earlier tomorrow to not get the leftovers .

Still sitting in the windjammer and lunch is being served . It's 54 degrees . Not warm enough for the pool .. But you should see folks in bathing suits smh and in the pool . The Solarium is the space for adults only but apparently on this cruise kids are allowed and the retractable roof is closed. Oh well . Must retreat to more peaceful space .

No agenda today ...

Seems our cabin steward Rowena always lets herself in stands there going "I knocked " since we never hear her. Lol
( too much alcohol will do that.) she is so nice though ! Bs he was bringing bestie's dry cleaning back to which I forgot to do . And no it's not free . But my whites are sooooo white when they dry clean them ....

We set out to explore the ship. But before that right after breakfast we head to deck 15 and it's actually beautiful out! Folks out in bathing suits .. It's 65 degrees ... After walking around the length of the ship.. Bumper cars on board, flight simulator , rock climbing wall , flow rider (surfing) the sea plex is a gym .. Basketball and Xbox.. And this huge pink polar bear . Why ? I have no clue . Seems to be art . Talk about activities .

Booked my expensive hot stone massage ... But NYC prices are the same so I'm not complaining . I will review it later . I'm psyched ! My first since surgery .

I took a moment to enjoy my balcony; looking out over the water I just felt so grateful. I can't or won't complain . I know I have it better than some . I'm blessed and grateful that I'm here after my accident months ago .

Walked the length of the ship outside and took plenty of pics .

Made a stop at the Bionic Bar .. What a concept ! What looks like a bionic arm makes your drinks and they slide to you ! The best part is as you create your drink, there's an electronic board that lists your drink and the ingredients .. And your name . Great for taking pics and memories !

OMG! You can order a standard pre-made drink or make your own .. Non-alcoholic drinks can be made too so the kids are loving it ! Well making my own drink was ah... Shall we say problematic and as I result way too many ! LOL

Off to get some lunch although it was late but needed something for all the consumed alcohol mid afternoon . (well what else do you do on a cruise?! )

I layer my head down for a hot minute and then it was dinner time . I Tried to change reservations since we went to Jamie Oliver's yesterday for lunch and couldn't do it so we were back here for dinner . It was ok . I've never had fresh ground black pepper that was soooo hot it made the food taste like heat ! We
already prepaid for this restaurant so I ate a little . Wasn't all that hungry after the late snack .

Did you know that ...Aretha Franklin sang Say a Little Prayer for You ? I didn't either .. LOL Maaaaannn playing female trivia and the song was "Say a Little Prayer For You" .. Every black person knows that's Dionne Warwick . SMH . We didn't win. But still .... Where's the Cruise Director ? What's bad was bestie went to mention it was wrong and was told "well that's what it says here ." Huh?

I was irritated the rest of the night LOL but laughed cause there sure wasn't many in the room who knew the right answer anyway !

On to the fresh Coconut Mojitos! Along with Vodka and wine earlier .. I need a detox from food and alcohol and it's only day 2 ..

In my favorite spot Boleros .. Chillin while my sis is in the casino ..

I love watching Latinos dance . Salsa , merengue and bachata tonight ....tired as hell and it's only 10:39pm.

More later ...

Day 1: Confusion and Chaos...

Welcome to Quantum! Confusion and Chaos...

Had a Social Media break for a few days.. Internet package for 2 days was cheap so I purchased it...here's my trip so far ! Enjoy ! Not love like I wanted it but ..

Pre Dawn Day 1

Hi all! It's been a minute since I posted a travel blog .. At some point I must go back and post the DR trip .. But right now...

Up all night trying to get it together to feel excited . A tad bit nervous due to my injury but I'm claiming a safe relaxing journey . It's been rough the past several months and I needed some heat and relaxation.

I was ready on time and my ride picked us up at 10:00am . Made a pit stop for a case of water since the only thing they sell is Evian which I hate ! And we are on our way ! Shout out to Steve for being gracious enough ( well he did get paid) to roll up with the Escalade! 😄

Made it to the pier in CapeLiberty NJ at noon ahead of our scheduled time at 12:45pm .

You now have assigned times when you check in .. I suppose to control the crowds and wait times for those at the pier.

The pier is organized chaos. It's an industrial pier so it's not specifically designed for cruise travel .Your luggage is taken at the pier and you enter directly in the terminal and find someone with a blue shirt to check you in . This was different and a joy not to have to worry about did my flight make it to the airport and then a bus ride to any of the ports in Florida .

Portability is the name of the game . Gone are the desks and the making of sea pass cards at check in . They scan your passport take your picture and off you go ! Though security and into a long line to get on the ship ! You receive your stateroom key in an envelope on your door . Sealed . Not as bad as it sounds . Blogs have been discussing this at length and I say it's no big deal as I thought it would be .

Technology on this ship is innovative and sea pass cards are now used to turn on/off everything in your room. Energy Saving for sure .

It's bizarre at night when you forget you need you sea pass in the wall to turn the latch switch on and it's pitch black or try going to the bathroom without it ! LOL

We also have WOW bands as they are called to scan everything ..your card info is attached to it and it opens doors on the ship and your stateroom. Way cool...

Once on the ship, we went straight to shore excursions to buy Universal tickets ! Well actually when you enter the ship you are directly in front of the shore excursions . How's that for marketing ?!

Then the quest for food! The typical lunch experience in the Windjammer was crazy . Couldn't find a seat to save our lives and walked around like 3 times! Ended up in Jamie Oliver's restaurant ..( for those of you who watch the Food Network ) Paid for lunch ..

Rooms should be ready now .. Muster drill in an hour...

On this ship Muster drills no longer have you go line up outside by your assigned station . We were in one of the restaurants as they scan your WOW band as they call it .. and make sure you are accounted for .

It's cold on the ship .. windy outside.. and cold .. and did I say cold. ? Got my coat on ...

I made up my own dessert at lunch thinking there was a brownie cheesecake - you know the kind that Junior's in Brooklyn makes ? Out comes a lemon cheesecake and a chocolate warm brownie .. Had the nerve to eat both ! Well some of both. Good news is since we only paid a cover charge you can ask for what you want !

I called my mom and she's so cute asking if we are there yet .. Lol

Muster drill time and I did good ! Walked down 5 flights of stairs without my cane! Woo hoo!
I'm being extra careful obviously ...

We met up with our Facebook group at the outside bar . It was cold and coats were necessary . I swear I know I mentioned it ..several times LOL.

I can't say I like leaving from NYC in April in the cold ! But the best view ever was crossing under the Verazanno Bridge !

I got my pics and decided I need warmth! Headed inside to find a bar ..there's no shortage of those on the ship 😁

The luggage is finally at our cabin and we have sea pass cards and a wrist band but how on earth do you open the door?

Before I even get to unpack we are off to go see the very off off off off Broadway version of Momma Mia for 2.5 hrs !
It was excellent !

I am soooo confused ..the ship is beautiful and large and tight . Too many things crammed in .. Wandering looking for the cabin. Everyone who's been on a cruise knows the first night or two you wander trying to find your cabin ( or any night after too much libations! )

Atfer the show - dinner at one of the free restaurants.. Confusion and chaos with this ... The lines the first night were awful and wished I'd brought my cane down to dinner but now too lazy to go all the way back to the room to get it . The Dymanic Dining concept is a bust .

During dinner my sister says she took her first cruise in 1977 back when you could get on the ship and have visitors before you set sail. Almost like a Bon Voyage party. I remember seeing her off once . Perhaps this is why I like cruising . My mom does too . Back then everyone had one job; cabin stewards were cabin stewards, waiters were waiters and we didn't see them dancing in the parade ...running to clean your table .. They have several jobs now...(and we all know how hard they work - but now...)

One interesting note is this trip is prepping for China .. Many of the staff are Asian and they are in training ...I've gotten annoyed a few times but remember they have to do this all over again while smiling next week for a new group of folks . I do see the level of customer service training necessary though .

After dinner we attempt to take care of our reservations for dinner which are screwed up after 2 hours online making them ... Smh . Need to handle with the restaurant ...

So we head to my favorite spot on RC ships .. Boleros .. Spanish nightclub atmosphere with a live band ... Order the drink package and spent $400 in one shot .. Unlimited and includes water and the darn premium drinks are $12 a pop . Not for the faint of heart .

After the best Fresh coconut mojito.. I'm good ! With all the drama I still have to do exercises before I go to bed and ice my knee .

Knee is holding up quite well . God is amazing .

Off to sleep .... Will add pics to the blog later ..

Ciao!

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Spa Week is Here!! April 13th -19th!!

Good Morning!

On this lovely chilly day as I am about to set sail and head for some warmth and relaxation - guess what?? Spa Week is Here! It's last minute I know but there are still great $50 spa deals to be had all over the city - and in other places!

Just check out www.spaweek.com check out the city you are interested in !

While you're at it - check out www.groupon.com and www.livingsocial.com for great deals as well!

Happy Easter and I'll be blogging my upcoming cruise ( living in about 2 hrs!) and of course the ship's great spa!

Happy Spa-ing!

In home Pampering?

Greetings!


In my quest to share my experiences with others, I've stumbled upon a company called Zeel. www.zeel.com

While I haven't tried it yet (due to an injury which resulted in knee surgery) I think this is a fabulous idea! It's simple - Zeel is a same day in home spa service! Yay!

Current locations include New York City, Long Island/The Hamptons, Los Angeles, Miami/Palm Beach,and the San Francisco bay Area!

If you've never gone to the spa why not try one at home? Yes you can create your own "in-home" spa - but why not bring the spa to you?


Ciao!

Tell a friend!