Travel Rewind : Punta Cana Day 4 Gnat Dance. .. Beat it .. Scram ..Sunday Sept 22 2014

Hola! 

Today was a turn down day .. Continue to make breakfast at the very end .. Then headed to the beach . 


We were at the beach all day .. Till 6pm when it started to rain ... Walked back to the villa .. Changed .. Then headed to dinner .

It's American night in the buffet and it's the first nigh that the food isn't saturated in salt ! Food was actually good . 

After dinner we chilled in the open air lobby .. And FINALLY I connected to the awful wifee to use my free hr . We get a free hr a day but I hasn't worked and we been here since Thursday . 

We listened to a live band .. And played one of my favorite song by Mark Anthony .. 

And we drank .. Mama Juana ! After we headed to the casino .. Which is a whole in the wall .. I skipped playing but my compadres didn't ... No one won.. REALLY?  

The club was next and the Cupid shuffle to a Latin beat was interesting ... Video to come later .... 

How the day goes so fast is beyond me ... 

It's now almost 2am and I'm still up will be struggling I'm sure in the morning for breakfast which ends at 10am... 

No plans except beach and the Michael Jackson show . We do have a specialty restaurant reservation late ... 

Why beat it scram ? It's a saying my bestie has but the darn Gnats need to beat it scram as they are eating up my legs!!!

Adios!

Travel Rewind : Punta Cana : Day 3 Mama Juana ..or Marijuana?

Greetings ! It's day 3 and we are in serious turn down mode . Breakfast at the buffet ... It's the best meal of the day for me since it's not full of sal ! (Salt ) 

Did I mention that Tonya and Maria got us sucked into the darn timeshare presentation yesterday ? So we had an appointment at noon.. 

Trying to make breakfast in the morning by 10 has been a feat... Buffet ends then . We have decided to get massages the last day .. And so today will be the beach later ... 

Still trying to connect to the darn free wifee ...so we go to hear the hour presentation ... And see the property .. Turns out I'm not interested at all we get if a tshirt and free time in the hydrotherapy ... 

We decide to use the hydrotherapy the last day as well ... 

By this time it's feeling like 100 degrees and we finished the timeshare presentation.. Needed to hit up the shops ..it was almost 2:30.. We were gonna go to the pool.. But instead we went to Buffet and I grabbed salad . I swear this food is so darn salty ..... But the drink of the day .. And a local favorite a waiter brought us out was called Mama Juana. It's a liqueur and sounds awfully like ....

So.. No beach today .., tomorrow right after breakfast . 

Dinner was early ..at 6pm and we had Japanese . Not a person who worked in the house was Japanese ... Yet the food Was good! It was reminiscent of Bennehanna's. 

After dinner we went to the show .. Yes there's a theatre called the Tropicana.. It was Disco night .. 

I've never laughed so hard .. The dancers had on Saturday Night Fever costumes . There was a Beegees , Sylvester , Kool and the Gang and Donner Summer medley ... 

But the kicker was the Village People .. I was howling because the fireman had on a candy strip outfit !!!  We were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe!!! By the way the firemen didn't have a candied stripped outfit right? I seem to have forgotten..as we are all singing YMCA!

The dancers were awful !!! But the more I watched it reminded me of the cruise shows .. But they are much better .. 

My phone was dead so I'm waiting on pics from friends ... 

Monday night however is Michael Jackson .. I can't wait .. 

The party continued to a show for Miss Bahia.. With games that picked the winner ... 

The club and casino were open both which I skipped .. Tomorrow is another day ...

Adios!  

2014 Travel Rewind! Day 1 Turn Down for what ? No Really ... Thursday 9/18/2014 Travel Blog - Punta Cana...

9-18 headed to the airport and arrive at 630am. 

Flight scheduled to leave at 815 delayed until 855

Take off direct flight smooth and comfy . 

Deplane down stairs and it's hot !!  

Board buses to the terminal and it's hot! Very tropical ! And greeted by music ! Sounds like my neighbors! 

If you didn't know I am the minority in my Minority neighborhood ! I've been told I can pass for Dominican .. And so it starts at the airport .. I'm not vain but as a big girl the asset I have is my eyes . There are no shortage of Dominican men stopping me .. And I'm by myself waiting for bestie's flight to land ... 

I am constantly reminded that America is not all there is . This is the first time for me to DR and a first land based vacation in over 10 years ! 

The airport is several thatched huts and what I immediately notice is no cell phones.. So I check and I can't get global service.. Which I paid for .. 

Bestie arrives and we head to our hotel .. Correction out property . The Bahia Grand Principe is several properties that all look alike ... And as we learn this evening not every jitney goes where we need to ! 

By time we get to the property immediately we are greeted with Dominican women dancing . The lobby is huge and outside ... It's humid ..bestie upgraded us and we were VIP status . Woo hoo! I love traveling with friends who share similar like. 

We are told we get an hour free wifee in the lobby but try to get it to work ..we did have a free cocktail reception 15 min of free wifee time in the AC ..each day . 

We get our packets and I notice how truly big the property is! We need a jitney to go everywhere !

Our rooms are heading in the direction of the beach .. That's all I know . By the time we get in the jitney and get to out rooms it's 3pm and we've missed lunch . We are at an all inclusive . Luckily for is we have free room service ! We order and pass out . By the time we awoke it was almost 7 ! Jitney back to hotel lobby only to find we got off at another hotel ! 

Finally at our lobby we go back and we dranking !

After the free 15 min of wifee (wifi but I took to calling it wife as that  was how it was pronounced in Europe and I thought it was catchy!)  we walk the path to and find the buffet . It was decent ... 

Seems they love a salt shaker here ! Good way salty .. Wondering where the adobo and Sazon is ... 

After dinner we head to the theatre after watching the free disco show in out lobby .. 

But we find the theatre and nothing going on .... Oh well.. 

So we hop on the jitney and head back to out villa ... 

Villa living is great ... We think .. But  nothing is close by ... 

We chat drink and discuss the days events but alas a full day of traveling has us knocked out !  

Mas Mañana !  Adios!

Day 6 Sea Day ... Banana Lemonchello ..Banana Lemonchello

Greetings ! So we are out to sea today heading home and after getting up around 9am we make a mad dash for seats pool side .  So much for that . I knew they would be gone . So instead we are by the pink polar bear and blocked sun . Better than nothing . It's hot hot hot !  We had sun until about 2pm  and then was blocked by the Polar Bear and I think Life boats . I can't seem to add the pics to the blog from my phone . I'll have to add them when I get home . I must be doing something incorrectly ?

Anyway, sad to know in just 24 hours, I won't be out here in a bathing suit since I hear it's not that warm up north . I purchased  the internet package for 2 days that's actually cheap so I can post my blogs . 

I really enjoyed my social media break. I'm thinking  I need to do this more often . 

Today was lazy. Headed inside for lunch and some lemonchello. Yes it's for old folks .. or Italians -they always drink it . I like it . LOL  I've always liked Lemoncello but after my trip to Italy and the Amalfi Coast where it's actually made , I drink it on vacation . It's not like I order it out at home .. Ever. 

I seem to be walking a lot on this trip and sleeping hasn't been  part of the itinerary. So I took a much needed nap .

We went to see another awful production called Sonic Oddessy . Well at least Mama Mia was good ... As I mentioned yesterday everyone has several jobs . Why was the cast of Mama Mia the stars of Sonic Odyssey? There was a time they would perform and leave the ship to hop on the next ship . It seems now they are staying on board doing all the shows ...everybody got three jobs on this ship.

As we head to dinner, another mass confusion at the front of one of the many lines to distinguish those with reservations and those without . 

Shame on you if you didn't pay attention and book your restaurants in advance . Everywhere seems to have a wait . Except the one restaurant specifically designed for Grande suites. That restaurant look empty everytime we  pass it. 

We are Currently eating dinner at a beautiful restaurant called  Le Grande . The service was slow and once again I feel let down for the meal . 

I'm exhausted and decide to head to bed while my sister and bestie go for drinks and gamble . Neither which I want to do anymore . Detox . Detox. Detox. 

Exercises, heat and ice for knee and then bed . 

Lawd the two of them come back just as I was falling asleep loud and laughing . They have accused the bartender Eric of cocktail fraud !!! ROFL . It seems it was making smoothies last night their drinks were so thick ! And my sis brought her darn banana with her again !! This time she took the banana from the Windjammer at breakfast so she can have Eric make her a cocktail with it . SMH .

 I know I'll be out late tomorrow night since its our last night. I'll also hit the casino since I haven't been yet . 

I feel sorry for whoever is in the cabin next to us ..LOL although I can't hear anything next door . Perhaps the cabins are built thicker ...

Until tomorrow ! 

Ciao! 

Day 5 Can't believe we are almost done?

It's Coco Cay day and I'm not leaving the ship . Haven't been pool side yet . Saw the weather at home and thought I need every drop of sun and heat today since the next several days are out to sea ... Hope I get all day tomorrow to be in the sun and heat too . 

Up at 9am this morning . Breakfast and now pool side .  Sis fell and I was nervous . Glad she didn't hurt herself . 

The North Star is amazing and sis and bestie are going to get on . I didn't  want to get on for some reason. Must climb down stairs.  So I'm good videoing it . Now would be the time while the line is short  though. It's like the London Eye and can go around and is about 300 ft in the air above the top deck. Apparently it moves over water too when not in port . 

I have some great pics of them and no I didn't get on . I don't want be that high in the air . 

My Spa appointment is at 1:45pm. I'll review the spa separately but I'm getting a hot stone massage :) After, I intend to come back out here and chill poolside . 

Sandra who did my hot stone massage was excellent ! Had me snoring ! I feel so much better ! It's my first massage since the accident . After my massage I went back pool side and passed out . 

I seriously hated to get up to go to the Crown and Anchor party but I'll be Diamond after this cruise ! Woo woo! It's RC's way of thanking many for being Loyal to Royal . Champagne and cocktails flowing . 

I left early to book my next cruise ... I'll be back in 2 years leaving from Florida  on the new ship Harmony of the Seas. I'm really liking leaving from NJ though . My sis booked for next year . I don't think I can we will see. That's leaving from NJ Anthem of the Seas .  

Back at the Bionic Bar and off we go to see a show ..

The comedian was funny as all hell .  He was a ventriloquist and been laughing ever since .

Dinner was excellent at Chops Grille . All the cruises we've been on and we've never been here . I'm not a steak eater so I had lobster. ..it's a specialty restaurant . 

I can't even tell you what the show Starwater was about.  I'm like WTH ? Back to the bar I go ... 

Only to go to Boleros and find a reggae band here ? Ok .. All the black and white folk who know Bob Marley are here. They done run out the Spanish folks. LOL . We stay and sway to old classic reggae . Cover songs of Bob Marley . Just like I said . 

We close the bar down again with our favorite bartender Eric .  I need to make up the next 2 days I'm behind my alcohol totals .ugh . It's what makes the package worthwhile . I simply can't drink like I used to . That's a good thing . 

We missed Quest apparently . It's the craziest thing aboard this ship . Grown folk running and acting a fool . It's fun though . 

It's a semi late night ..1:00am . And what's next ? Ice and heat the knee then exercises. 

My trip is speeding by .. More tomorrow .. We are out to sea the next two days . Need to make it pool side tomorrow .. The closer we get up north .. The colder it is .. Where is my coat again? 

Ciao !