ROYAL CARIBBEAN
By: Cindy....Travel agent - Anyplace Travel

Royal Caribbean has an itinerary to meet everyone’s taste. They have short weekend getaways all the way up to weeks at a time. You can travel to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Europe, etc..

In my opinion Royal Caribbean is the best overall cruise experience and my personal favorite.

I have traveled on Royal Caribbean many, many times and my favorite ship is the Enchantment of the Seas. I have not only met crew members but I have been fortunate to have made friends which is one of the many reasons I keep going back on her.

The following is a daily recap of my recent 5 day cruise October 28 -November 2, 2006.

Day 1- Embarkation Day

Usually I arrive at the pier first thing but this time I waited until 1:00pm which was much better. There was no line and I walked right up to the counter to show my identification and set up my set sail pass. You put a credit card or cash up for purchases on board. They then give you what looks like a credit card and it is just that. You use it for drinks etc and also for a room key and it note's your dining room table number also.

As soon as you get on board get ready to eat. Lunch is being served in the Windjammer. I ran into a few friends. Hello Harry, Ed, and Maurice.

After lunch I went to check out my cabin which was # 3585. It was an inside cabin and big enough for me. Previously I have stayed in an inside, an outside, a balcony, and a junior suite. You have to ask yourself what is best for you. Please note that smoking is not allowed in your cabin. Only on your balcony if you have one. My room steward Chris Logo came and introduced himself and my luggage arrived around 4:00pm..At 4:30 there is a safety muster drill that all passengers must attend before the ship can leave. By the time the drill was done it was time to go and get ready for dinner since I had 1st seating which is 6:00pm. I was shown to table #103 on deck 5. There are two floors to the dining room. My waiter was Leo whom I had had as an assistant waiter on a previous cruise and my asst waiter was Richard. Leo took the time to make recommendations and explain the choices to me. Service was superb as usual and dinner was delicious. After dinner I took a walk around the ship and tried my luck in the casino and then headed back to my cabin. When I arrived back to my cabin, the bed was turned down with chocolates on my pillow.. Now that's service!!

Day 2- At Sea

Well I started my day with room service for breakfast-nice way to start the day, and then it was off to the jogging track on deck 10. Today is an "at sea" day which means if you want a chair by the pool you better get there kind of early- by 10 it starts to fill up. There are lots of activities to keep you busy-there's bingo which is lots of fun. Of course there were shopping talks to help you get ready for your ports of call. There was team trivia; ping pong, the spa and the shops on board and casino were open all day. They also had dance lessons. Now this afternoon there was one of the highlights- The International Belly Flop Contest. It will leave you in awe so don’t forget to bring your camera. If you wanted a more relaxed atmosphere you could try wine tasting.

Tonight was formal night. You could have your hair done in the salon and have formal pictures taken for about $20. Most people do dress up. Last night no one came to my table for dinner but tonight I was lucky enough to make a new friend- Domeneke. We found we had a lot in common and I ooked forward to dinner every night the rest of the week. The show tonight was called "Stage to Screen" where they perform excerpts from different Broadway shows like Hairspray, Chicago, and Little Shop of Horrors. I would say it was a show that the whole family could enjoy.. There was also The Battle of the Sexes game, Karaoke, singing in the Piano Bar, a 70's dance party, and live salsa music and dancing in Boleros. So as you can see there was something for everyone including children’s and teen programs and first run movies in your cabin.

Chocolates on my pillow again...A girl could get used to this...

Day 3- Jamaica

Woke up this morning and had a light breakfast and got ready for my day in Jamaica.

I am fortunate to have friends that work on the ship and I was given what I would call a "behind the scenes” tour of Jamaica from a native. What a fun time we had!!! He took us to lunch at a true Jamaican restaurant called "Scotchies" where we filled ourselves with jerk pork and chicken. It was delicious and VERY spicy. The tropical flowers were gorgeous. There are plenty of things to do in Jamaica. Previously I had climbed Dunn’s River Falls. Its 900 ft of climbing but the bragging rights are worth it. You can swim with dolphins, take a small party cruise, or maybe visit Jimmy Buffets Margarita Ville which is always a good time. Of course there is always shopping. They have lots of arts and crafts by local artists. On board if you opted not to go ashore there was plenty to do. There were exercise classes, team trivia, rock climbing, bungee trampolines, dance classes, scrap booking classes, and name that tune and the ever popular bingo. Tonight they were taking casual photos for purchase in the lobby as well as coming to your table and taking pictures as well. The show tonight was a comedian named Levent who was very funny. They also played The Love and Marriage Game which is a modern day newlywed game where they pick three couples to compete and believe me it is not rehearsed so you never know what they will say. It’s usually pretty funny but not always "family" content.

Tonight was the poolside midnight buffet. Caribbean music playing with flashing drinks and lets not forget more food!!!

Back to my room to my chocolates....

Day 4- Grand Cayman

Woke up this morning and headed to breakfast in the dining room. It wasn't that busy and the staff was more than efficient. Of course everyone had the same thing to say...they couldn't believe it was raining!! It's supposed to be sunny every day on a cruise right? Well Mother Nature doesn't always agree. People who had booked tours were still heading out. Grand Cayman is a tender port which means the ship anchors out about 1/4 of a mile and smaller boats transport people ashore. Previously when I had visited Grand Cayman I had visited The Butterfly Farm. Trust me; you have never seen butterflies that look like this. A lot of people chose to swim with the stingrays. The beach is gorgeous with plenty of shopping and a popular hangout is Senor Frogs.

They had the usual daily activities but because of the weather I opted not to get off the boat. I stayed in my cabin after lunch and relaxed and I enjoyed it very much. Now today is Halloween. They had jack-o-lanterns in the lobby and some people did dress up. They also had a party for the kids and one late for the adults. Tonight was also the adult’s only game called 'Quest”. It is an adult scavenger hunt game that trust me you have to see to believe and never go without your camera. Things get very crazy during this game and when I was on board a couple of months ago with my friends we won first place and were quite proud. You just might end up on he cruise in review video though so be careful!!!! Tonight was also the Gala Buffet. This is a not to be missed event and whatever you do don’t forget your camera. This is a chance for the wonderful chefs on board to showcase their work. OK I am sad to say I have one more day...thank god for the chocolate on my pillow...

Day 5- At Sea

This morning after breakfast I headed out to the pool deck and tried to work on my tan in between all the clouds. I then figured I would try my luck at bingo but today wasn't my lucky day. I decided to stop by the shops for some last minute shopping. I must say it was starting to hit me that I was going home tomorrow and I was a little sad. On the last night of the cruise you extend gratuities to those who have given great service like your room steward, waiter, asst waiter, head waiter, and anyone else you like.

I went to dinner with a little heavy heart knowing I would have to say good bye to some of my new and old friends. They had a farewell show where they show the cruise in review that they have been taping all week and you can purchase to take home with you. After dinner I went to say good bye to some of my friends and then headed to my room to pack my bags. You have to leave your bags in the hallway by midnight because they come by and pick them up and you get them when you get off the boat. Make sure you keep a change of clothes to wear home. I don’t want to say the words going home....

Going Home

Breakfast is served earlier than normal from 6:30-8:30 and then they start calling you off the ship in groups. If you have purchased transfers then a bus will take you back to the airport or if not you can take a taxi like I did. As I’m leaving I look up at the ship and think I’m sad to go but I look forward to getting home so that I can plan my next trip back which I hope will be very soon if I am lucky. All of the staff on this ship seems to go out of their way to make sure you have an excellent vacation, so let me say a special thank you to Promod, Harry and Ed.

So get ready, book that Royal Caribbean cruise and GET OUT THERE!!!!!!

Bon Voyage.

Cindy....Travel agent...Anyplace Travel

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