Day 4: The third day of the cruise was a sea day. I had a busy day scheduled for myself and got through almost everything! Here is my to-do list from that day:
See how I had to schedule in time to relax in the afternoon? No wonder I was exhausted when I got back from my vacation! First I woke up around 6am to watch the sunrise from my balcony. I had figured out ahead of time that there would only be two days when I could see the sunrise from the comfort of my cabin, so I made it a point to wake up early on this day so I could watch the sunrise without having to leave my room. After the sun was up I showered and got dressed so that I could go eat breakfast in the main dining room. After breakfast I went to the Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle. I talked to a few people who seemed friendly, but didn't make a strong connection to anyone. After that I went to bingo and didn't win anything. I knew I wanted to play at least once, so I was able to cross that off my list! By that time I was ready for lunch, so I went to Izumi for sushi. They didn't have many fish-free options on the menu, but thankfully they were willing to make me a vegetable roll, which was really good. Once I was done eating I was ready to chill out & relax, so I headed to the Solarium. Unfortunately there weren't many spots open, so I moved to a few different chairs before finding a good spot. I guess I wasn't in the mood to relax because after a short time of sitting still I was up and moving around again. I went to get some soft serve ice cream and then headed back to my room. When I got to my room I changed and went to the Rising Tide Bar for a lesson on making martinis. It was a really cool experience because I learned some really good martini recipes and I was able to be in a cool bar at the same time. The Rising Tide Bar is a moving bar that rises three stories to end up in Central Park, almost like a big elevator that serves drinks. Altogether it was a really unique experience and I'm happy I did it! Next I had planned to go to the wine tasting at Vintages, but it turned out I needed a reservation. I ended up signing up for another one later that week. Instead of doing the wine tasting I spent some time at the casino before dinner. I ate with some more nice couples and then relaxed in the room for a little bit before my evening activities. At 9pm I saw the comedy show and at 10:30 I watched the Love & Marriage game show. Then I went back to the casino and turned $35 into $95. I called it at night after midnight. Coming up on tomorrow's report is my champagne catamaran sail in St. Thomas. Would I be brave enough to try snorkeling for the first time ever? Keep reading to find out!
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Day 3: On the first full day of the cruise I woke up to the call from room services saying my breakfast was on its way. I got set up on the balcony and took my usual "breakfast on my balcony" picture, which is always a favorite of mine. Whenever I am wishing to get away I look at those pictures and remember the feeling of being completely relaxed and at rest. After my quick breakfast I decided to get a mocha because the room service coffee was terrible. I really liked that my room was so close to Central Park because it quickly became on of my favorite spots on the ship! The coffee I got at Park Cafe tasted nothing like a mocha, so I grabbed a packet of hot chocolate and made my own! Now that I had a coffee I could drink I went back to my room to shower and get dressed. After that I grabbed my camera and set out to take pictures of the whole ship. I had hopes that it would be less crowded with some of the passengers out in port. I started at the top and worked my way down, also giving myself a nice tour of the areas I hadn't seen yet. After I was done taking pictures I went back to my room to charge my phone a little bit and grab the stuff I needed for the golf tournament. I also took some time to write out my journal for day one. Then I headed to the Solarium Cafe for lunch. They had some tasty food that was supposed to be healthier, plus I was able to check it off my list of places to eat! Next I spent some time relaxing in the Solarium in a comfy chair drinking a frozen drink and waiting for my golf competition. After spending some quiet time in the Solarium I decided to check out the Sport Deck. I watched a couple of people do the zip line and decided that if it freaked me out to watch someone else do it there was no way I could do it myself! Then I went and watched a few people do the Flowrider surf simulator. Some people were really good but most of them could barely stay up for a few seconds! Next it was time for the golf competition I had planned through Cruise Critic so I headed over to the mini golf course. I was there about 10 minutes early and asked a couple of people if they were there for the tournament, which they weren't. I stayed until 10 minutes after we were supposed to start and nobody ever showed up. I was really disappointed and honestly upset that nobody had bothered to come. It actually hurt my feelings a little bit because I had expected that maybe half the people would show up but it had never occurred to me that nobody would come! After that disappointment I went to the Wipeout Cafe to try the fries I had heard were really good. They were actually pretty tasty. Since I had some free time I went to the casino next. After that I went back to the room to get ready for the formal night dinner. I was a little late to dinner but it all worked out because I sat with two really nice couples. We had good conversation and one couple even invited me to sit with them during Cats. Right after dinner I headed to the Royal Promenade to hear the captain speak. Then I ended up skipping Cats and after some more time at the casino I decided to call it a night and go to bed. Thanks for sticking with me through today's long report! Tomorrow's report will be much shorter because it was a sea day and I didn't take very many pictures. Stay tuned for more!
Day 2: On Saturday morning I woke up way before my alarm went off, probably because I was so excited to get onboard Oasis and get the cruise started. I remembered that the ship would be arriving in port right at that time, so I went to the webcam for Port Everglades and was able to watch Oasis come into port. It was a great way to get even more excited about the cruise! Once I was dressed and ready to go, I went downstairs for the free breakfast provided by the hotel. Then I walked to the Publix grocery store near the hotel. Mapquest said it was half a mile away, so I had walked a mile before even getting on the ship! I went to the Publix to get my two bottles of wine I was allowed to bring on the ship with me. I got the champagne I really liked, not thinking about the fact that I'd have to drink each bottle in a day before it went flat! After getting back from the store I took my stuff down to the lobby to wait for my shuttle at 10:30. I got lucky and the shuttle driver for the 10am departure said he had room for me, so I got to leave for the port right away. There was some traffic to get to the port, but we were still there by 10:30. Because we were so early, I was one of the first people to check in at the port. There wasn't anybody in line, so it went really fast. The ship hadn't gotten clearance yet, so we had to wait about an hour before they could let us on. Soon enough it was time to get on the ship! I will admit that I spent a lot of time before the cruise watching YouTube videos of Oasis, so I think that may have taken away from the "wow factor" when I first boarded. I knew exactly what it would look like and didn't get that surprise like other people probably did. I went to the dining room right away and asked them to put a note on my account that I'd like to sit at a table of solo cruisers. After that I wandered around for a short while until it was time for lunch at noon. Having decided ahead of time that I wanted to eat lunch at Giovanni's Table on the first day, I made my way there to get a table. They had a $15 cover charge which is cheaper than dinner there. I was the first person to be seated, but a couple other tables came in after me. I used my drink package right away and got Pellegrino water and a Sprite. For lunch I had the margherita flatbread which was just okay and then the mushroom risotto which was amazing. I didn't even have room for dessert, so they boxed up two pieces of their chocolate tart for me. Next it was time to go see my room. I got there right at 1pm when they opened the doors to the staterooms. I found mine easily and was pleasantly surprised by the size. This was my first time not having a Junior Suite so I wasn't sure what to expect. I got another surprise when there was a knock at the door and my luggage had arrived. It was so early, I hadn't expected it until later. Since I was already in my room with my luggage I decided it would be a good time to unpack. I have a system of where to put everything in my stateroom, so packing went fast. I also called my mom to say hi and tell her I had made it onto the ship. After unpacking I went to the Solarium Bar and got my traditional embarkation wildberry lava flow, although I opted for a virgin drink so it would go towards my pre-paid drink package. Then I went down to deck 4 for the muster drill (which was thankfully inside) and once that was done I went back up to my room for sail away. My room steward hadn't come by to introduce himself yet, so I hadn't been able to request a wine glass. The only option was to use my Coke cup that came with the drink package, so I made sure to take a picture in order to show how classy I was drinking champagne out of a plastic Coke cup. Once sail away started I took a bunch of pictures and videos of us leaving port and then got ready for dinner. At dinner I sat with two older couples who were very nice and talkative. After dinner it was time to check out the casino. I sat down to my first machine, hit the spin button three times and won $61 right off that bat. Just like that I had more than doubled my money! I played until it was time to head to the Aqua Theater for the dive show. It was amazing! Even better than I ever expected! After the show I went back to the casino until about 11 and then I was ready for bed. It had been a long day! Coming up tomorrow is our half day in port at Nassau. I stayed on the ship and used the time to take pictures of the whole ship from top to bottom, so tomorrow's post will include a picture tour!
It's taken me over two weeks, but I am finally getting around to writing my trip report for my latest trip! First, here's a look at what I did day-by-day so you can get an idea of what is coming up in this report:
Day 1: My flight to Florida didn't leave until 11:35am, so thankfully I didn't have to wake up before dawn to make it to the airport on time. It also helped that my mom offered to drive me to the airport, so that meant I didn't have to worry about parking offsite and catching the shuttle to the terminal. I arrived at the Denver airport about two hours before my flight took off, so I grabbed breakfast and then found a seat at my gate. I passed the time by listening to an audiobook on my phone. Before long, it was time to board. The flight seemed to take forever, probably because I was excited to arrive in Florida and get my trip officially started! After we landed I grabbed my suitcase from the baggage carousel and headed outside to catch my shuttle to the Sleep Inn I was staying for one night. The shuttle area was a mad house and very chaotic. Thankfully my shuttle only took about 20 minutes to arrive and pretty soon we were on our way to the hotel. Once I was checked in to my room I decided that I would just order pizza delivery instead of trying to take another shuttle to a nearby restaurant. While I waited for the food to arrive I got my clothes situated for the next day and packed my backpack with the items I didn't want to leave in my suitcase. Not long after eating dinner I decided to go to bed and have an early night so that I would be rested up for the big day tomorrow. Up next tomorrow, boarding the largest cruise ship in the world! Also, my first Oasis dining experience with strangers…would they be friendly or would it be awkward? Stay tuned to find out!
Today I uploaded my first ever video onto YouTube! I have been meaning to do something with the clips I've taken during my vacations. So I finally figured out how to use iMovie on my Mac in order to piece them all together into one video.
Here's the link to see the video from my Western Caribbean cruise this past spring. Please take a minute (or to be exact, 4 minutes) to watch it and leave a comment or give it a thumbs up! I finally made a decision on which excursions I'll be taking on my February cruise. Here's what I've chosen: Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas: St. John Half Day Champagne Catamaran Sail Beach & Snorkel Set sail on a custom catamaran to famous Honeymoon Beach within the national park on St. John, where the crew will anchor offshore. Swim and snorkel from the boat or ride the dinghy to Honeymoon Bay Beach where you can stroll the sands, swim or relax under the palms. Back onboard, enjoy bread, cheese, fruit, and champagne, then sit back and bask in the tropical breezes on the return to St. Thomas. Highlights: • Scenic Sail: See the southern coast of St. Thomas, Pillsbury Sound and the unspoiled Virgin Islands National Park on St. John. • Honeymoon Bay Beach: Swim or snorkel in clear waters, search for shells or just relax in the shade of a palm tree. • Champagne and Snack: Enjoy bubbly or an alternative, served with fresh bread, cheese and fruit before the return sail Philipsburg, St. Maarten: Magical Highlights Sightseeing Tour Spend an hour on a sleek catamaran touring beautiful St. Maarten from Great Bay Harbor to Simpson Bay. Marvel at mega-yachts docked around the island. Then board an air-conditioned bus for a scenic, narrated ride into Marigot, the island's French capital. Enjoy an hour of free-time shopping at open-air markets or dining at outdoor cafes. On return, see Grand Case, Orient Bay, and the French Quarter. Opt for shopping in Philipsburg or return to ship. Highlights: • Catamaran Sail: See mega-yachts while relaxing on a scenic hour-long catamaran ride from Great Bay Harbor to Simpson Bay Beach. • Marigot Shopping: Admire the mix of European style and Caribbean charm. Shop open-air markets, or sample epicurean delights. • Philipsburg: Explore St. Maarten's other side at tour's end. Take a short walk, taxi, or water taxi back to ship. I am really excited about these excursions and they are exactly what I've always pictured doing while in the US Virgin Islands!
We also have a day in Nassau, but I haven't decided what I'll do when I'm there yet. None of the excursions sounded that great to me, so I might just wander around like I did when I was there in September. Every once in a while my mom hears about something cool to do in Denver and asks me to come with her. This is what happened a couple of weeks ago when she heard about a tour being given at Riverside Cemetery for a few short weeks in October. The tour is of the cemetery's "history and mystery" by moonlight. You could chose to do the tour at twilight, sunset, or moonlight. We chose to do sunset so that we would still be able to see a lot of the cemetery before it got dark. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the tour... Overall, the tour was really interesting and informative. I'm happy we did it and glad that we chose the sunset tour so we could see the amazing sunset over the mountains.
Day 7: On Friday the ship arrived back in Port Canaveral early in the morning. I chose to do the self assist disembarkation, which meant I would carry my own luggage off the ship between 7:15-8:30. I woke up to my alarm at 6:30 and got dressed before heading to breakfast in the Windjammer buffet. After eating breakfast I went back to my room for the last time and grabbed my suitcase. The line to get off the ship looked really long but it moved pretty fast. It probably only took 20 minutes to get off the ship once I got in line. Customs was really easy and I didn't even realize I had gone through customs until I saw the doors leading outside and realized I was already done! I jumped on the Radisson shuttle and was back at the hotel in another 20 minutes. It was 100% easier than getting off my last cruise! I went to the check-in desk at the hotel expecting to put my name on an early check-in list and expecting to be told that I'd have to wait a few hours for my room to be ready. I was all set to spend the morning at the pool so I was surprised when she said my room was already set for me to go in. It was a really nice surprise and much easier than having them store my suitcase and me having to wait for the room! I hadn't slept very much the night before, so my first idea was to take a nap right away. Before going to sleep I texted and called a few people now that I had access to my phone again! Then I went to go get some lunch at Subway and watched the last episode of Big Brother on my iPad. After that I finally took that nap I had been planning on. I watched some TV and then went for an early diner at around 4pm. After dinner I talked on the phone some more. Once I knew I wouldn't be getting any more calls for the evening I went down to the hotel pool and swam around for a few minutes before spending some time relaxing in the hot tub. I also went to the outside pool bar and got my "last night of the trip" drink. The rest of the night I watched TV and then went to sleep early at around 9:30. Day 8: The night before I had put the breakfast room service order form on my door for delivery between 8:15-8:30. I thought that by going to sleep early at 9:30 that I would definitely be awake by then. I guess I underestimated how tired I was because to my surprise the knock on the door with my room service order woke me up. I jumped out of bed and answered the door, probably looking like a hot mess! I ate breakfast and then decided to go lay by the pool. The picture above is of the hotel pool from outside my room door. I checked out at noon and my shuttle came to get me at 1pm, so I hung out in the hotel lobby for the hour between checking out and getting picked up by the shuttle. My flight was at 5:25 and I landed in Denver around 7:15. I'm happy that I got home on a Saturday so that I had all day Sunday to unpack, do laundry, and relax before going back to work on Monday! And that's the end of my trip! It was such a great vacation and I really enjoyed getting away and meeting lots of nice people. Now I am already counting down the days until my next trip, so stay tuned!
Day 6: On Thursday I woke up just after 8 and got ready quickly so I could go have breakfast in the dining room. To me it was much nicer than eating in the buffet because you could sit down, order from a menu, and take your time. I sat with two older couples who were very nice and fun to talk to. Once I was done eating I went and played the slot machines in the casino for a while. At 11am I had a tour of the galley along with a brunch, including free mimosas. It was really cool to see the good prep stations and the food they gave us for the brunch was really good. The two mimosas alone made the $20 tour fee worth it! After the tour and brunch I went back to my room to get ready to go to the pool. I found a chair in the shade and went to sit with my feet in the water. After a few minutes of relaxing they started the men's belly flop competition. I had a great view and got splashed every time because I was in the front row. I decided that there's no way they could convince women to do that to themselves for a free keychain! I went to get a frozen drink at the bar and decided that I would get the same drink that I got when I first got on the ship, a wild berry lava flow, so it was a nice ending to match my beginning of the trip. At the bar I met a nice couple who were my age. We chatted for a few minutes and when they heard I was traveling alone they invited me to come have dinner with them that night. I thought that was really sweet of them! On my way to my room I stopped by the gift shop to pick up a postcard of the ship for my Smash Book and a pen for my mom. When I got back to the room I decided I would pack. At first it was overwhelming because I had really spread out my stuff and made myself at home, but piece by piece I was able to get it all packed away. It was surprising how many souvenirs I had accumulated on the trip, but I guess that just goes to show that I was thinking about my friends and family while having a good time. After I was done packing I took a shower and got dressed for my last night on the ship. I had dinner at 5:30 and then went to the production show at 7. Then I spent some time in the casino before meeting my new friend at the bar at 11. Tomorrow I'll cover the last two days of my trip, which included disembarking the ship and flying home to Denver.
Day 5: On Wednesday morning I got up early when I felt the ship stop in port. I had room service for breakfast and then got ready to head off the ship into Nassau. It was easier than the previous day because we were docked so you could walk right off the ship instead of having to take a tender boat to shore. It was a madhouse right off the dock. There were people everywhere and half of them were shouting to sell us tours or taxis. It was way too hectic for me and I didn't even want to stick around long enough to decide how to get a taxi to Atlantis, so I just decided to just grab some souvenirs quickly and then headed back to the ship. It felt really great to get back on the ship and be "home" in my room! After I dropped off my stuff I got lunch and then walked around the ship and took pictures of things I hadn't taken yet. It would have been nice for the casino or the shops to be open, but I guess with 90% of the passengers being off the ship it just doesn't make sense to keep them open. After walking around for a while I headed to the theater where they showed Maleficent. It was a movie I had been interested in seeing but not enough to pay for a ticket at the theater. Once the movie was done I took an afternoon nap and then showered to get ready for dinner. I listened to a band in the Centrum while I wait for dinner. After dinner I went back up to the top deck and watched sunset like I had the night before. I went to the casino when it opened and then watched a game show they have called Love & Marriage. Next is the last full day on the ship with a tour of the galley and a champagne brunch!
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AuthorMy name is Beth and I live in Denver. I am a single lady in my 30's and wanted to start sharing my awesome and amazing life through a blog. Categories
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January 2018
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