Written by Kim
Off on another short 4 day cruise. Embarkation was crowded but simple. We went up to Viking Crown to have a drink, get our bearings and decide on dinner reservations because cabins weren’t ready when we got on board. This cruise is a “free” casino cruise so we purchased the ultimate dining package and will eat in all specialty restaurants since it was only $130 per person. We are not huge gamblers but if you cruise a few times a year there are often casino free cruise or discounted cruise offers so we usually try one in January since we like to be in Florida 3-4 weeks.
Our cabin isn’t one we would have picked but heck it’s free. It’s an ocean view with no balcony which we’ve never stayed in. The cabin is the first cabin forward under the bridge so it’s super easy to find just keep walking till you can go further. lol. The ship is older but well kept with great storage in the cabin.
The ship is packed with lots of kids (many under 5 – strollers and double strollers everywhere). I’ve never seen the pool deck so packed on sailaway day.
Our dinner the first night was Chops, the steakhouse. We had read on some boards that Chops wasn’t very good but we thought it was excellent. Food was delicious and hot. Service was top notch with courses well timed. We both had the same – shrimp cocktail, we split bacon, wedge salad and filet. We really enjoyed our meal.
After dinner we went to the ice show. The nice thing about being on a new ship all the shows are new. I really enjoy the entertainment on RCCL. The show was very good – it was crowded but we found the reserved seating so it all worked out.
Our first port was Nassau, Bahamas. Normally I don’t get off in Nassau but my bourbon hunter husband took me on an adventure to a liquor store. We walked nearly 4 miles round trip but had a successful trip. The walk to the store pushed my limits a bit. There was no sidewalk on part of it and it sent my anxieties rushing because I don’t feel Nassau is very safe after my dad was killed here in a boating accident. I sucked it up and did my best in a tough situation. Coming back Alex found us a better route and we only had to dodge the stray dogs. Not my favorite island but I was happy Alex was able to get a rare bourbon, EH Taylor, for only $57 (at home if you can find it you pay nearly $200). It was a successful walk.
We spent the day sunning by the pool while we received texts from home about snow. Heather and Lux FaceTimed us to tell me about his snowman. We love that technology lets us stay connected to family. I even took a few meetings for my consulting work while on board.
Dinner was in Giovanni’s, the Italian restaurant. We had another great meal with fantastic service by Rico. Yum!
The show tonight was Saturday Night Fever. I think now we’ve seen all the Broadway shows on RCCL fleet. It was almost 2 hours long without an intermission but really kept our attention. Brought back lots of memories as SNF was the first R rated movie I ever saw. The cast singing and dancing was outstanding.
Tomorrow is a sea day then CocoCay our last day. We will post once more from Liberty then Alex will post a Virgin vs Royal comparison. Until then…..
