Mandymouse's Wet WDW & Oasis of the Seas Trippy

[mandymouse]

Welcome to another mandymouse trip report which sees me, the hubby (Paul) and our two lovely daughters, Kerry 27 and Becky 25 on yet another ‘final holiday’ together

It all started this time last year. Paul & I boarded the Oasis of the Seas and straight away knew that our girls would love this ship. So when we got home we suggested forgoing major Christmas and Birthday presents and us taking them away, and being the well travelled girls they are (and one to spot a bargain when they see it), they jumped at the chance. Within days the cruise was booked, closely followed by the flights and of course the good old Pop Century

Our itinerary didn’t take long to sort out and it looked like this ..

Wed 16th May - Travel to Manchester, stay at the Premier Inn, Trafford Centre

Thu 17th - Fly to Orlando (VS75), check into Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Fri 18th - WDW

Sat 19th - WDW

Sun 20th - Board Oasis of the Seas

Mon 21st - Day at Sea

Tue 22nd - Day at Sea

Wed 23rd - St. Maarten

Thu 24th - San Juan

Fri 25th - Labadee. Haiti

Sat 26th - Day at Sea

Sun 27th - Disembark, Fly home (VS76)

Mon 28th - Land home


Wednesday 16th May 2018

It was going to be a busy but fun day today. I was up as usual at 5.50am to see Paul off to work, I got ready, did a bit of housework then headed over to Coventry to see my mum and we were in town for 9am. A few days ago we found out that there was a tropical depression over Florida, and in all my planning and foreseeing of photos, rain wasn’t on my radar (though apparently it was on the Doppler Radar ) . So my first stop was Primark for a pair of trainers as I wasn’t prepared to wreck my sandals. I begrudgingly took my £12 floral trainers to the till and was told £5, result!! Next stop was Costa for a couple of skinny lattes and toasted teacakes (for those of you who know me well will know that a Costa is pretty much a daily occurrence… yes I am Mandy and I’m addicted to Costa )

At 10.30 I had an appointment for my hair, then after a short chill at home, I had a 1pm appointment for my nails and tootsies

The girls messaged at 2pm to say they were leaving for Manchester and I spent the next few hours tidying up, emptying the fridge etc. The girls messaged to say they had arrived at the Trafford Centre at 4pm, and a little while later Paul rang to say he’d finished work

Paul arrived home around 5.30pm and after a quick dinner and final weigh of the luggage, we were on our way by 6.30pm

It was a nice sunny evening, and a relatively nice drive up the M6, but once we hit the 50mph roadworks at Sandbach, Paul decided he’d had enough of the slow and lorry filled drive and came off the motorway and took a more scenic route via Congleton and Wilmslow. We still arrived by the original 8.30pm arrival by our satnav and checked in

After a quick chat to the girls, we started our usual traditional night before routine at the Champagne Bar at the Trafford Centre. We spent a lovely couple of hours enjoying a Moët & Chandon Imperial Rose (or 2) and a Stella for Paul and finished off at the Wetherspoons before calling it a night

Tomorrow ~ Fly to Orlando … Woohoo!!

 

[mandymouse]

Thursday 17th May

I slept really well, but was wide awake by 5.15am. I got up half an hour later and after a quick shower we were all ready to leave by 6.30am

We took the 20 minute drive to the airport and with the new changes at terminal 2, left our cars at the Meet & Greet on the top floor of the car park

Check-in was quick and efficient and there wasn’t much need for the cheap Fast Track tickets we’d bought ahead of time. Paul was held back for a short while as his bag full of various camera equipment and other gadgets was flagged up, but before we knew it we were heading through to Duty Free and towards brekkie

We arrived at Frankie & Benny’s at 7.30am and were seated straight away. Paul & I had Big Breakfasts, with a Mimosa each and I also had a latte. Kerry had Bacon with Scrambled Eggs and Bek had Pancakes with extra toast. It was all very nice and hot and came to just under £50 with a 15% off code with our Flio app

The next few hours really got away from me. Paul treated me to some perfume from Duty Free, then we enjoyed a couple of drinks in the Spinning Jenny bar

Our gate (208) was right next to the bar and boarding began around 9am. It was a bit of a free for all once boarding was announced. First Upper, Premium, Economy Delight (ooh, this is new) was called, then everyone just joined the line

We were in ‘the bubble’ and boarded pretty quickly. Slightly earlier than our 10.05am departure we pulled away and we settled in the front row of the economy part of the bubble

Shortly after the seatbelt lights were switched off. The drinks trolley came round, so I had a Vodka and diet coke with my favourite bag of pretzels, I even had a bag off Becky

Next lunch was brought around. The menu wasn’t that great, and I wasn’t that hungry after my delicious breakfast, but I did enjoy the Quorn cottage pie and the Boursin cream cheese and crackers

Once dinner was cleared away I settled down to watch Geostorm and to make a start on my trip report. Now I love a good old disaster movie and have watched 2012, The Day After Tomorrow and the likes of Armageddon many times, but Geostorm was absolute pants!!!!

Next up I tried The Hitman’s Bodyguard, this was much better and what’s not to like about Ryan Reynolds eh? Plus, during the movie a Twister ice lolly was brought round

Around 4pm (UK time) I started to watch Star Wars, The Last Jedi as I'd seen it several times and enjoyed it … Yay! Just 3 hours to go now

A short while later the drinks trolley came round again, then about 5.15 a cheese sandwich was brought round with a bag of crisps, a chocolate bar and a rather random ‘fruity and minty’ Fisherman’s Friend (yuck )

As we began our descent, it became rather noticeable how grey it was outside, Noooo!! I hadn’t ordered this weather, and as we touched down at 1.45pm (now I’m on US time), it was pouring down .. never mind, we’re here now … woohoo!!!

As we were in the bubble, we were off the plane quite quickly, and as we headed to Immigration we realised it had gone back to the old school way of no passport reading machines and just line up to see the Immigration Officer. This was a breeze with just a couple of questions, the taking of our photos and Kerry was the only one to have her finger prints done which we think was due to her having a new passport

As we were off so quickly, the longest wait was for our luggage, which I’m sure was a bit slow due to the rain

Next we caught the monorail over to the terminal and made our way over to the Alamo garage and having tried several cars that could fit 4 biggish cases in, we were on our way out by 3.15pm

It was a wet drive along the 528 and onto the I4, but we arrived at the Pop Century half an hour later

We were checked in and had two rooms in Building 6 in the 70’s area

After taking a few photos before we settled in and made a mess , we quickly unpacked the stuff that were on hangers and left the rest in the cases as it was only for 3 nights. I had a quick shower, got changed and jumped back in the car and headed for some dinner at Hooters

We ordered some drinks and Paul snorted and looked smug when the waitress asked for his ID. She then asked me for mine, hmm love I think you need to see an Opticians chart rather than our ID's Anyway we had a lovely meal of chicken wings, burgers, curly fries and mozzarella sticks and the bill came to around $76. Next we had a quick visit to Wal-Mart for the usual sun tan lotion, water and Mountain Dew supplies and a blooming poncho for me

Then to finish the evening off we drove to Disney Springs. Here we said goodbye to the girls and handed them the keys to the car as we were going to have a couple of drinky-poos

First stop was World Of Disney, well half of it as the other half was closed for refurb. I made a start on my souvenir shopping, then we continued round towards the Christmas Shop. We then made our way over to The Boathouse. It was still raining, but it was very light, and I had with me something I’d never used in Disney World before, an umbrella

We sat outside The Boat House at the bar outside and enjoyed a couple of Proseccos for me and Jack Daniels and coke for Paul

At one time the rain almost stopped, and as you looked over towards Saratoga Springs there was a lovely sunset and back towards the restaurant there was a beautiful rainbow

We had a quick pit stop at Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar for one last drink then headed towards the bus station. We waited a short while for the Pop Century bus, but an Art of Animation bus arrived first so we hopped onboard and enjoyed a nice walk through its shops, food court and back over the bridge towards the Pop

After a brief look in our shop and food court we called it a night and were probably back to the room for 11pm which was pretty good going for us

Tomorrow – Magic Kingdom for EMH and Epcot

 

[Owlpost23]

I've been looking forward to this one! So glad to see it's begun-your reports are so entertaining!

 

[eeyorefanuk]

Hi Mandy
Great start. Love reading your reviews. Looking forward to the cruise part. Ports sound lovely

 

[mandymouse]

Friday 18th May


I first woke at 2.30am then 4.30, then dozed for an hour, but was wide awake at 5.30. So I caught up with my trip report and started getting ready for the day around 6.15am

We all met outside our rooms at 7.15am and caught the bus for Extra Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom. The line for our bags to be checked moved sooooo slowly, but once that was done and we went through the metal detectors, we were walking up Main Street USA

First stop was the castle for the usual photos, then we moved to ‘the purple wall’, which is one of many walls around WDW where apparently all Instagrammer's take photos

We rode Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin where I whooped Paul’s butt lol, then we split off from the girls and we rode the Peoplemover

We wandered around the shops and I really wanted a latte, but each time we passed Starbucks, it was rammed. We had a Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain then we shared a huge cookie, rode the Peoplemover again and then used our Haunted Mansion FP

Now the forecast for today was cloudy this morning, then rain later in the morning. Once again I was prepared with brolly and poncho but didn’t bother taking my sunglasses. Well what a gorgeous morning it turned out to be, we were thrilled

At 11.35am we had a reservation for lunch at Be Our Guest. We met up with the girls and a couple of friends they’d met up with. After the long wait to order the food we wandered into the dining room and after a short wait our food arrived. I had the Croque Monsieur and Paul had the turkey sandwich and I finished off with a lemon meringue cupcake. It was all very nice, though the cupcake was a bit too sweet

As we left we noticed a huge black cloud in the distance. We said goodbye to the girls and arranged to meet up with them later and we exited the park. Just as we reached our bus lane Paul mentioned he’d felt a drop of rain and within minutes it was howling down

We really lucked out leaving when we did and in no time the bus arrived and we chilled back at our room

We arranged to meet the girls about 4pm at The Poly, so after our chill we got ready and took the bus back to the Magic Kingdom where we then headed over to the Monorail and stopped at the Contemporary. Thankfully the rain had stopped and it was lovely and sunny again. We had just ordered a lager for Paul and a cider for me when the girls messaged to say they we on their way, so we finished our drinks and took the Monorail to meet them. We enjoyed a Captains Mai Tai each and had a nice chat, then Paul and I left and headed to Epcot

It was the Flower & Garden Festival and as always the topiaries were lovely so we took photos along the way and our first stop in World Showcase was for a Dole Whip with coconut rum for me which was delish

We headed to the UK Pavilion but the Rose & Crown was rammed so we wandered over to France for a Grey Goose slush and a lager for Paul

Next we stopped at Japan for a Chicken Teriyaki and Chicken Cutlet Curry which were both nice

We wandered over to Italy for a Rosa Regale and Prosecco and just sat enjoying the atmosphere and taking the weight off our feet

Around 8pm we got a wine and beer then it started to rain again

We decided to watch IllumiNations from the terrace outside the restaurant in Japan as it was under cover

I always enjoy IllumiNations but every year it seems to get shorter, tonight it lasted 12 minutes, but despite the rain we got some nice pics

We exited Epcot via the International Gateway and splodged our way to the Atlantic Ballroom where we enjoyed a couple of drinks and the music videos shown above the dance floor there

We left around midnight and took a taxi back to the Pop. What a lovely day it had been

Tomorrow – Disney Hollywood Studios & Epcot

 

[mandymouse]

I've been looking forward to this one! So glad to see it's begun-your reports are so entertaining!

Hi Mandy
Great start. Love reading your reviews. Looking forward to the cruise part. Ports sound lovely

Welcome aboard both of you, hope you enjoy it

 

[mandymouse]

Saturday 19th May

I slept quite well and woke around 6am. Kerry and Becky were spending today at Animal Kingdom and were away early for EMH’s. We chilled at the room while watching the Royal Wedding which seemed to be on every channel lol

Paul was a little peckish so we called in at the food court and he had a chocolate muffin and orange juice, then we took the bus to Disney's Hollywood Studios

It had just turned 9am and the park seemed really quiet. It was a lovely warm sunny morning though the dreaded rain was due back later in the day … oh joy

So we headed down to Tower of Terror and it was a walk on. After our visit to the Twilight Zone we decided to head right back again, and once again it was a walk on … result

Our first FP was for RockNRollerCoaster. The stand by line was already at 40 minutes, but we walked straight on. We ended up on the back row, which is always a bit rocky, but still fun

Next it was time for coffee so we called in at Starbucks and grabbed a couple of skinny lattes and iced lemon loaf … Mmm, delicious. As we sat down we could hear Star Wars music playing and the March of the First Order passed by so Paul went off to take a few pics

Our next FP was for Tower of Terror again, and once that was done we headed over to the other side of the park. We wandered down to Pixar Place where Paul had a pic with Cruz Ramirez

We noticed a cool little bar next to the Sci-fi Diner which looked popular and thought we may give it a go later. After a wander around we did our final FP which was Star Tours, then we returned to the Baseline Tap House for a lager for Paul and a weird orange cider for me and we shared a pretzel with dips which was all very nice

We exited the park via the shops (of course lol), then we took the bus to The Board Walk as we wanted to go to Epcot but the Friendship Boats weren’t running

We entered Epcot through the International Gateway, and as the girls had made me a top appropriate for drinking around ‘the World’, I quickly changed in the restrooms then we grabbed a couple of drinks in the Rose & Crown

We sat in the gardens at the back of the UK Pavillion on some steps of a doorway and got chatting to a lady from Northampton. Then it began ... first a few spots of rain, but we were ok in the doorway, then the thunder rumbled in the distance ... then got closer ... then the rain got heavier

We decided to carry on around World Showcase and try to find somewhere to eat. We had to wait a while for a free and sheltered table in Morocco, but when we did we enjoyed a chicken platter and chicken wrap, both were really good

Paul managed to get a couple of FP’s for Soarin’, so after a quick Prosecco each in Italy which was fun trying to stay dry while sitting at a table with a parasol plus me with my umbrella up

We continued on and rode Soarin’, when we came out the rain got harder and by the time we got between the two character spot places it was hammering it down

After sheltering for a good half an hour, we gave up and braved the downpour and legged it to MouseGear. We did a bit of shopping then took the bus back to the Pop as Kerry needed the keys to the car to go back to Animal Kingdom for their Pandora Fastpasses later

We really didn’t want the weather to affect our short time in WDW, so after a short rest we got showered and ventured out again. The rain hadn’t given up and we made our way back to Epcot as we really wanted some Mongolian Beef from The Land

As always it was lovely and we sat making plans for the evening depending on the weather. When we finished the rain hadn’t let up, so begrudgingly we took the bus back to the Pop

We stopped by Petals Pool Bar for a Captain Mai Tai each (which was amazing), then we ended up making an evening of it there with a couple more Mai Tai‘ s and even a brownie sundae

We called it a night and headed back to our room and bed

Tomorrow – Oasis of the Seas and hopefully better weather

 

[mandymouse]

Sunday 20th May

This morning Kerry & Becky were meeting up with their friends for breakfast at O’Hanas. They took the car and left at 7.15am. I decided to do a bit of washing (as I wouldn’t be doing any on the ship) and take a chilled morning while they were gone

Paul and I finished our packing and I sorted the washing then the girls returned around 10am

We loaded the car and set off for Port Canaveral. First stop was Ron Jon’s at Cocoa Beach where a little shopping was done. Then we drove up to The Cove at Port Canaveral and had some lunch at Grill’s. We were seated with the Oasis of the Seas in view and excitedly chatted about our upcoming cruise

As the girls had already eaten, they just shared some sides. I had some chicken kebabs with wild rice and veggies, and Paul had the fish of the day, Mahi-mahi with fries and veggies. We also enjoyed a couple of very nice glasses of sangria

We paid the bill and drove the short distance to the Alamo car return then we took the shuttle to the port. Everything was a breeze. We handed over our luggage to the porter and wandered through to check in, then straight onboard

Our rooms were ready, so we dropped off our stuff and took the girls for an explore. After a quick explanation of the good bars and food places etc and a quick drink in the Solarium we got ready for the muster drill

We should’ve had the drill at the Aqua Theatre, but as there was a chance of rain it was changed to the Schooner Bar, which was a complete waste of time as we were unable to see the drill video or hear what the crew had to say, but hey ho we were seated and comfortable

We checked back at the room to see if our luggage had arrived and as it had we just put the cases in the room

The girls chilled in their room and Paul and I went up to deck 15 for our first Pina Colada of the cruise and it was yum, and it was followed by another

We returned to our room and began unpacking then chilled for a while before getting ready for dinner

We arranged to meet Kerry & Becky outside our rooms at 7pm, then we headed down to the American Icon Dining Room on Deck 3 which was for those doing My Time Dining, which meant we could just wander up to the podium and we'd be seated at the next available table

We were seated straight away in a quiet corner of the restaurant with an ocean view which was very nice. Paul & I ordered a Prosecco each and the girls had lemonade. For starters Paul had mushroom soup and I had French onion soup (the girls didn’t bother with one), then Kerry and I had the Chicken Marsala, Bek had Spaghetti Bolognaise and Paul had the fish of the day, Sole

The meal was very nice and our servers were really good too. To finish off Kerry had apple pie a la mode, and Paul and I shared one too, and Bek had a crème brûlée. When the desserts arrived I was happy to share, but then our server brought out a cheese plate too and I quickly bagsied it

We really enjoyed dinner. The girls went off for a wander and Paul and I went to the casino where Paul enjoyed an hour starting with $50 and walking away with $75

To finish the night off we enjoyed a couple of Cosmos while riding the Rising Tide Bar from Deck 5 to Deck 8 and back down again, then we called it a night

Tomorrow – Day at Sea

 

[mandymouse]

Monday 21st May

We slept quite well. I awoke at 4.30 and 5.30 am but managed to get back to sleep. We got up about 8.30 and decided to go for a fast walk/jog around the running track on Deck 5

It was a lovely warm morning and after about half an hour where we had completed our 5 laps (it was just under 5 laps = 2 miles) we were glad that we’d got up and made the effort

We wandered onto the Royal Promenade and made our way to the Café Promenade. The café serves lots of pastries and danishes etc which are complimentary, and as we’re on the Drinks Package, the speciality coffees are included. So we grabbed a couple of skinny lattes, 2 bran muffins for me and a couple of mini croissants for Paul

We then returned to our room to get ready for a lie in the sun. Once we reached the open decks it was really windy. We found a couple of loungers then spent the next few minutes battling with the wind to sort out our towels

It was rather cloudy, but I settled down to read the Jenson Button book I’d been given for Christmas

We lasted out about an hour and a half, and I made the mistake of not using much suntan lotion as it was so cloudy and I looked rather red afterwards … oops

We decided it was time for some lunch, so after dropping our towels etc back at our room we wandered down to Deck 8. I had been looking forward to having lunch in Central Park since our last cruise, so I chose a chicken salad and a fruit cup and Paul had a tuna sandwich, bag of lays and a fruit cup too and we sat in the now sunny (though still windy) park, it was all very nice

Next we enjoyed a couple of Mimosas from the Trellis Bar in Central Park, then we went for a walk taking a few photos along the way and I had a quick go on the carousel on the Boardwalk

We wandered down to the casino for an hour where Paul’s $75 winnings became $125, and at one point he was doing so well that a young lad at our table pretty much copied what Paul chose We popped back up to top Deck to get a Pina Colada each, but it was so windy we took them into the Solarium, where we just had to have another one

Paul was a bit peckish so we called in at the Wipe Out Café where he had a burger with a few fries and I had a slice of pizza

We grabbed a couple of Sex on the Beach cocktails for the girls and dropped them back at their room then chilled for a while

It was Formal Night tonight, so we wanted to eat together again. We got dressed up and met outside our rooms at 7pm. We took some pics then headed down to the restaurant. It was very busy, but we were seated straight away

Sorry I forgot to take food pics tonight, but to start Paul & I had the French Onion Soup (the girls didn’t have one), then Kerry & Becky had Beef Tenderloin, Paul had salmon and I just had grilled chicken. It was a very nice, then to finish off Bek had Crème Brûlée, Kerry had Chocolate Fudge Cake and Paul & I shared an Apple Pie a la Mode … Mmm, it was all good

The girls went their own way and Paul and I went for a wander to walk some of our dinner off. Surprisingly (or maybe not ), we ended up back at the casino where Paul’s luck continued and his $125 became $225

We finished the night off at the Rising Tide Bar with a couple of Cosmos then headed to bed around 10.30pm

Tomorrow – Another Day at Sea

 

[mandymouse]

Tuesday 22nd May

I didn’t sleep that great. I woke at 5:30 and 6.30 then dozed till 7.30am. I caught up with my trip report as Paul snored away in the land of nod

We got up around 9 and got ready for a jaunt around the running track. We did our usual two miles, then grabbed a couple of skinny lattes, bran muffins and mini croissants and enjoyed them while people watching from the Promenade Café

We went back to the room and got changed for an hour or so in the sun. It was another lovely warm sunny morning, probably in the low 20’s which made it very comfortable to lie out

We lasted out till about midday then took our towels etc back to the room then headed down to Central Park for some lunch at the café

Once again the day just got away from us. We had a couple of Mimosas at the Trellis Bar, Paul lost big time at the casino (I’m surprised he did so well for so long ), we went for a walk then later in the afternoon had another lie out in the sun

Tonight Kerry & Becky were eating out at Izumi, a Teppanyaki restaurant at 5.30pm, so we didn’t rush to get ready for dinner. Tonight we were seated with the dining team we had on the first night

To start I had Caesar Salad and Paul had the Crab Cake

Next I had Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli and Paul had the fish of the day

Then to finish off I had the Cheese Plate and Paul had Strawberry Cheesecake

It was all delicious. Once we were finished, our server (who was from India) asked us if we liked Indian food, which we replied ‘oh yes!!, and he said if we requested him the next day he would sort out a curry for us. So I really hope I don’t get my hopes up too high, but so looking forward to this

We rounded the night off in the Casino where Paul’s losing ways continued. I’d had enough by 11pm, but the croupier who Paul had won with the previous day was starting on a table. Once back at the room, I suggested that Paul could go back to play with his final chips, so off he went and I’m sure I was asleep before my head hit the pillow

Tomorrow – St. Maarten

 

[mandymouse]

Wednesday 23rd May

I was wide awake at 6.30 am and dozed for the next hour. I felt the ship shudder for a while and guessed we were pulling into St. Maarten

Paul woke around 8am and suggested we give our run a miss and just chill in the room. I asked him how he’d got on at the casino and by the sound of it not too well

I caught up with my trippy then got ready for the day. The girls knocked the door to say they were disembarking and we agreed to message each other later in the morning

We wandered up to the top deck and it was a lovely morning, we took some photos then went down to Deck 5 for our usual latte and pastry breakfast

We disembarked around 10am and made our way to the taxi rank for Maho Beach. We were given a wrist band each which cost $16 each for a return trip

The roads seemed very busy today, it took a good 15 minutes longer to get to Maho Beach than in previous years. Along the way you could easily see the destruction that Hurricane Irma had inflicted on the Caribbean last September. There were hotels and other buildings with roofs hanging off, battered cars and abandoned buildings with messages painted on them with how to contact the person who had left, it was all pretty sad. But St. Maarten was open for business. We passed by the airport which although operational still had construction going on

We were dropped by the Sunset Beach Bar. When we visited this time last year it had gone through a refit and looked great with its new decking. Only one part was closed off now, but this didn’t stop them giving their visitors a great time. The bar was open, as was the restaurant and the DJ was entertaining everyone, it was a fun morning listening to music, drinking cocktails and watching the games and dancers

Somehow the planes landing didn’t coincide with what was written on the board, so we caught a few landing on the Maho Beach Airport webcam that had a 5 minute delay to what was happening real time

Around 1pm we took the taxi back to Philipsburg and we were dropped in the town. First stop was the Hard Rock Café where we enjoyed a Hurricane and shared chicken tenders, onion rings and fries. It was all good

We wandered around the town but it was getting too hot and there was nothing we were after so we took the water taxi back to the ship

Once back on board we chilled at the Trellis Bar with a Mimosa and we were joined by the girls who had enjoyed the morning at the beach and had hired a lounger and parasol along with a meal and cocktail deal

We were all pretty tired so returned to our rooms and promptly fell asleep. At one stage Paul had got up and I asked him what time at was and it was 10 to 7, aarrgghh! I needed to wash my hair so leapt our if bed to get showered. Paul just went back to sleep

At 7.40pm I had to wake him up for dinner and we met the girls outside our room at 8. We were looking forward to our curry night, but once seated and being told it was a fish curry, my face dropped, I really didn’t fancy that. So we agreed to chose from the menu, and our waiter would bring out stuff family style

I was the only one to have a starter, pepper soup, then Yatin (our waiter) brought out spring rolls and samosas. For our mains I had mushroom risotto, Paul and Becky had Ravioli and Kerry had a steak. Then Yatin brought out some chicken tikka and a bowl of the curry with some naan bread. Wow what a feast, we all very much enjoyed it. To finish off Kerry had ice cream, Becky her usual crème brûlée and Paul had a warm cookie with ice cream. Sorry I forgot to take any food pics, but trust me it was all delish

We wandered down to the casino and Paul took another $50 out with him. After his disastrous day the previous day, he said that he was quite happy to have only lost $50 by day 4. I was shattered and had a headache so left him to it after an hour, he was doing rather well and the next morning I found out he had $125 to walk away with

Tomorrow – San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

[eeyorefanuk]

your formal dress
Enjoying the report as always
I Central Park as well such a clever idea. Hubby liked the roast beef sandwich from the cafe

 

[ukintheus]

I'm here! Good grief you've got through a lot already! I need to go back to the WDW part again to remember everything but, yuck, what horrible weather you had. Good thing you had your brolly but there is no saving shoes when it's like that. One time we had to dry ours in one of the dryers they were just too soaked.

 

[ukintheus]

I love this top Mandy, it looks really good on you. Plus it "almost" matches your drink.

... then we enjoyed a couple of drinks in the Spinning Jenny bar

Sounds like a good name for a bar.

Boo!! What a nasty welcome you had.

I had a quick shower, got changed and jumped back in the car and headed for some dinner at Hooters

You always do so well on your first day, I'd be done in I think.

We left around midnight and took a taxi back to the Pop.

Midnight!! Ha ha. You had to have been running on pure alcohol by this point!

Love the picture of the two of you, and Paul with his shorts stuffed full of everything so you don't need to carry a bag. We do the exact same thing. The rain looks awful , what a shame, but it doesn't look like it stopped you too much. There is so much water on the ground it's impossible to keep your feet dry if you have to go through it.

 

[ukintheus]

Great start to your Oasis part of the trip. The ship looks lovely and it's nice when you have a head start on knowing your way around.

These look delicious! It's sad that that Bahama Mama has had to be retired for both of us, but these look like a good replacement.

Lovely photo of you, and I love that dress.

How nice for Paul to be doing so well in the casino, but what a shame his luck changed - hopefully it changed back again in the next update. St. Maarten was definitely still struggling when we were there in January and it doesn't look too much different. Glad you still made it to Sunset bar though. Looking forward to your next installment. Oh, also, nice one on the curry!! We had a couple on our last cruise. it was such a nice treat for us with not being able to get a good indian very often.

 

[mandymouse]

your formal dress
Enjoying the report as always
I Central Park as well such a clever idea. Hubby liked the roast beef sandwich from the cafe

Thanks for your comments hun Central Park is an amazing place, it really is hard to believe you're on a ship when sitting there isn't it?

I'm here! Good grief you've got through a lot already! I need to go back to the WDW part again to remember everything but, yuck, what horrible weather you had. Good thing you had your brolly but there is no saving shoes when it's like that. One time we had to dry ours in one of the dryers they were just too soaked.

How nice for Paul to be doing so well in the casino, but what a shame his luck changed - hopefully it changed back again in the next update. St. Maarten was definitely still struggling when we were there in January and it doesn't look too much different. Glad you still made it to Sunset bar though. Looking forward to your next installment. Oh, also, nice one on the curry!! We had a couple on our last cruise. it was such a nice treat for us with not being able to get a good indian very often.

Jenny, our server was great, we were spoilt several evenings with extra Indian food, we assumed he must've got it from the crew kitchens as I don't know where else it could've been served. Aww, we still mention our first trip to the Sunset Bar with you and Scott .. and of course Sugar

 

[mandymouse]

Thursday 24th May

We were rudely woken at 7:15am when Kerry & Becky knocked the door on the way to breakfast. Their plan for today was to get off early, walk around the town and head to Señor Frogs for 11

This morning we were thinking of walking up to a different Fort than the one we visited last year and maybe catch up with the girls later on

I caught up with my trip report then got showered. We wandered down to the little deck at the front of Deck 14 over looking San Juan and already it was shaping up to be a hot day. First stop was our usual lattes, bran muffins and croissants, then we received a message off the girls saying it was very hot out and they were coming back to change

Paul & I disembarked around 9.20am and our plan was to try and follow the wall around the coast to take us to Castillo San Felipe del Morro, El Morro. It was a lovely walk though tiring due to the heat, walking uphill and occasionally having to double back on ourselves due to our route being closed off. We zigzagged our way through the colourful and cobbled streets where out of nowhere little clearings would appear with statues and monuments. San Juan was a very pretty town. Finally we arrived at the fort and it was lovely to see such a huge open space with children on school trips playing ball games and flying kites

We didn’t go into the fort as it looked busy but we took some photos from the outside and we were glad we made the effort to walk here. We bought some water from a stand as we began our walk back into town and I looked forward to taking some photos at sail away as we pass by this fort later

We got into town just before 11 and found Kerry & Becky in Señor Frogs with balloon hats already on their heads. Already the place was busy and buzzing. We all ordered a yard, I had a Hurricane, Paul had a Froggy Tai and the girls had something equally yummy. We had a fun time watching the staff dancing, games being played for shots and listening to the music. After our drinks we did a quick stop at CVS as Paul was coming down with his usual holiday cough (poor thing always seems to come down with something when we’re away), then we got back onboard

We were ready for some lunch so we decided to give Windjammers a go. I’m not usually a fan of the buffets, not due to the food, but it’s usually so busy then finding a table is usually a mare, but thankfully we found a seat straight away. I wasn’t sure what to have but when Paul came back with a turkey dinner I decided to have the same and it was very nice

Sail away was 40 minutes late due to a medical emergency, so I think it was around 2.50 when we finally got going. We sat out in the sun for a while then I took photos of where we had walked today

The afternoon consisted of sunbathing, drinking cocktails and a brief visit to the casino. I don’t think there were any big wins today but I believe he’s still playing with that second lot of $50 he brought with him

It was Formal Night #2 tonight, so we got ready, then Paul & I enjoyed a Cosmo or two on the Rising Tide before meeting the girls outside the restaurant at 8pm. We hoped we’d be seated with the team from the night before, but sadly we weren’t as it was so busy, but we still had a lovely meal. I had an onion tart to start, Paul had tomato soup and the girls didn’t bother. Then for our mains I had the New York Strip, and the others had rib eye beef. I didn’t have a dessert, but Paul had ice cream, Becky had her usual crème brûlée and I'm not sure what Kerry had

Tonight was the 70’s party on the Royal Promenade. This is lots of fun with the staff dressed up and dancing along with the 'Village People' and 'John Travolta'

Paul had one last go in the casino and we called it a night

Tomorrow – Labadee, Haiti

 

[mandymouse]

Friday 25th May

I didn’t sleep particularly well and caught up with my trip report around 7.30am after tossing and turning for an hour

The girls knocked our door to say they were heading to breakfast and we gave them a rough idea where we could meet for lunch on Labadee
Once ready we went for a walk up to top deck to see if we had arrived and we had, we took photos from there and from the Sundeck on Deck 14 then continued down to Deck 5 for our morning lattes and pastries

Already it was a very warm and sunny morning and it felt like it was going to be a scorcher. We disembarked along with everyone else and already a lot of people were settled on their loungers and people were riding the zip wire from the top of the mountain over the sea and onto the beach (not my idea of fun at all lol)

We found a couple of loungers and lay in the sun, but it was very hot and sticky, I think we only lasted half an hour or so

We headed towards the place where we were planning to meet the girls when we could see them waving at us from the beach

We found some shelter near the bar and buffet and enjoyed a couple of Labadoozies. It was lovely and relaxed and we could hear Ska music from The Specials, Madness and Selector coming from the bar

The chilled atmosphere didn’t last long as the buffet opened and long lines started. Paul went to get some food, just the usual burgers, salads etc, but I really didn’t fancy anything

Once lunch was over we continued onto the little marketplace where the girls bought some postcards and souvenirs and I bought a cute necklace, bracelet and earrings set

We wandered around taking photos, but the heat was really getting to Paul so we headed back to the ship

We got showered and changed and as I was beginning to feel hungry, we went down to Central Park so I could have a chicken salad and fruit cup from the café

Once fed we went down to the Royal Promenade and to the English Pub as I just fancied a cider, and luckily they had Strongbow on tap. After enjoying our drinks and doing a bit of people watching we popped down to the casino. I’m really not sure how Paul is doing now, I’ll no doubt find out once he knows what’s left of his ‘casino fund’

Once again our afternoon was spent chilling, walking the ship and enjoying the odd cocktail

We arranged to meet Kerry & Becky outside our rooms around 8pm and headed down to dinner. We had hoped again to get our Indian Waiter from a few nights ago, but we were lead past him. He saw us and immediately told us there was a table at his station waiting for us .. yay!

For starters I ordered the Iceberg Wedge, Paul had Salmon Tartare, Kerry had Asian Style Pork Tacos and Bek didn’t bother with one. He also brought out some vegetable pakoras, which were delish (sorry I kept remembering to take pics once we'd started eating .. oops)

Our mains came, I had Steak Diane, Paul had Roasted Rack of Lamb, and the girls had Spaghetti Bolognaise, but then Yatin brought out a chicken curry, curried fish and naan bread. Oh my days, there was so much food and it was so good

Oh no! We still had dessert to come I didn’t order anything, but he still brought me a cheese plate out. I’m not sure what the others had as I was in a food coma by now I think Bek probably had her usual crème brûlée, Paul maybe had ice cream and Kerry was talking about having Tres Leches, a sponge cake with caramelised meringue & peach coulis

We rolled out of dinner and the girls decided to head to bed. Paul & I had a Cosmo on the Rising Tide. While on there we could hear The Macerena from Deck 8 as a Party Dance Party was happening on Deck 5, it looked good fun and everyone was joining in with the dances. I was feeling shattered so after a quick drink in the casino I was off to bed leaving Mr Casino down there

Tomorrow – Last day Day at Sea

 

[mandymouse]

Saturday 26th May

I thought I’d slept badly, but after checking my phone at 3.30am, I next woke around 7.30am. Paul was still snoring his head off so I caught up with my trippy

He wasn’t feeling up to a run so we leisurely got changed for an hour in the sun, but headed to Café Promenade for our lattes, muffins and croissants first

It was a nice sunny morning, but rain was on its way. We lay out till about 12 then dropped our towels etc back at the room. I wasn’t particularly hungry, so Paul had some lunch at Windjammers

Once again the day went by in a blink, we wandered round our favourite drinking haunts giving those crew members that had been chatty and fun over the past week some extra tips and of course grabbing the odd cocktail along the way

Before long we had to make a start on the dreaded packing. Once that was sorted we got ready for dinner. Once again Yatin was our server

For our starters I ordered the goats cheese tart, Paul had lentil soup and Kerry had coconut shrimp, then Yatin brought out some curried shrimp

Next Bek and I had the battered cod with curried rice, and Kerry and Paul had turkey dinner, then we were served chicken curry with rice and naan bread

We were already fit for bursting but we still had dessert to come!!!! Paul and I had profiteroles, Kerry had apple pie and Bek her usual crème brûlée

We said our goodbyes to this lovely team promising to mention them when we received the survey from Royal Caribbean

Paul and I had one last drink from the Rising Tide and one last go at the casino, then it was off to bed

Tomorrow – Heading Home

 

[mandymouse]

Sunday 27th May

As what usually happens when I know I’m going to be up early, I slept badly

We got up around 6am and met the girls at 6.45am as arranged the night before. Sadly the cruise was going to end how it started … with rain

We were going to take our luggage off ourselves, but held back on the Royal Promenade for a little longer till we knew our car rental would be open at 7.30

We took a taxi to Budget Car Rental and as we got out of the taxi it poured down. Things didn’t go too well at first. We were given a car that was blocked in, Paul couldn’t figure how to put the seats down in the back for the cases and he was soaked through by the time we were ready to leave

Finally we were away by 8am and we headed for Disney Springs and the Virgin check in. Thankfully the rain had become a fine drizzle and as in the last few years check-in was empty and in no time we were walking away with our boarding cards and leaving our luggage with them

We parked in one of the Disney Springs car parks and Paul and I went to Starbucks for a latte and lemon loaf cake and the girls did yet more shopping

As it was going to be raining on and off all day we decided to hit a few shops and the Florida Mall. First stop was Super Target, and after buying a few souvenirs we headed to the Florida Mall. It was very busy there, but Paul and I had some lunch at Five Guys, our first ever burgers from there. The burgers were huge and the chips nice, but I doubt we’ll be that bothered again

We stopped off at another Super Target closer to the airport, then continued on to take the rental car back

I was held back at the X-ray machines while the guy went through my carry on, then we went through to the gate about 4.15. Our 6.30pm flight to Manchester was on time (VS76)

Sorry there are no photos from today. I wouldn't allow any to be taken of me as literally from leaving the ship between the wind and all the rain, my hair looked the worse it had ever been

Anyway, this is where my trip report finished, and I can report that we got home safely after an uneventful flight home, where I enjoyed a couple of vodka & cokes and more importantly the pretzels and whatever it was I had for dinner

Thanks for reading along and leaving your comments, I've enjoyed re-living it all again and wish I was back there everyday

The countdown to our next holiday is up and running, roll on September when it will be just me and the hubby heading back to Hawaii and LA, bring it on! I am sooooooo excited

See you when we get back !!