Nassau - Bahamas What to expect on Cruise
Sep 5th
Day 1: Departure
My Adventure starts right out of the gate. The plane departs Pasco Airport at 1:35pm. Salt Lake City had a fire in their control tower, so 30 minutes into my flight we were diverted to Boise. We refueled and waited until SLC re-opened.
I missed my connection and had to be re-routed. The Salt Lake City airport was very user friendly and easy to navigate. I did get patted down on my way back through security when my shoes set off an alarm ~ but all was well and it only took a few minutes. The security staff was friendly and pleasant. During my layover I enjoyed dinner at the Dave Clark Restaurant. This airport offers $9.95 per day or a per month internet usage package.
My next connection was in Las Vegas which I also found to be a relatively stress free airport. The Wi-Fi internet was free. Banks of slot machines are located throughout the terminal. This being my 4th and longest flight of the day ~ I was starting to get tired and stiff. I reached Orlando at 6am of Day 2. Checked into the Days Inn and Suites and learned they had a shuttle service to my ship. Had a shower, nap, changed and repacked my suitcases ~ bring it on!
Day 2: Embark
The shuttle departed the hotel at 11am, arriving at Port Canaveral around noon. Large bags must be checked, carry-ons go through X-ray, everyone walks through metal detectors, identity and boarding papers are checked every step of the way. The paperwork included filling out a small card for Bahamas national security and a signed verification that I had not been exposed to any gastrointestinal illnesses in the previous week. They take your picture for security purposes as you board the ship. Wrist bands are given to minors to ensure they are routed to the correct station in case of emergency. Rooms were not ready until 1pm, welcome cocktails & lunch at the Windjammer kept us occupied.
I opted to take a shore excursion to Breezes Nassau & arranged a private tour from the Hotel Management. A treasure hunt sends you around the ship to become familiar with the amenities aboard. Turning in your completed form entitles you to a drawing. What to see and where to shop seminars get you jazzed about our ports of call. After the mandatory muster with everyone on board taking part in the emergency drill, the ship leaves port and the party gets started.
Before opening the tables for the night, the casino holds free Gaming Lessons. The Welcome Aboard show features free prizes, reminders of the upcoming events and entertainers who draw the audience in (and sometimes even onto the stage). We are informed our itinerary was flipped around to miss the rainy day at Cocoa Cay. I tried one bite of everything at the Windjammer and headed back to my cabin to catch a nap. I missed Bingo ~ but one lucky winner was upgraded to an Owners Suite for the duration of the cruise.
I woke up about midnight and migrated up to Voltage for a couple hours. Met Leslie, a woman seated at my table for dinner (I’d missed dinner because of the show). Last Call varies by night and by the crowd ~ this evening it was 2am as quite a few people were intoxicated. The casino will be open until much later.
Day 3: At Sea
The day’s itinerary is slipped under your door during the night. After a shower I headed up to the deck for the BBQ.
It was raining intermittently as expected (which was why we had diverted from Cocoa Cay for today). A twelve-year-old won the Men’s Sexiest Legs Competition. The rock climbing wall was available when the weather permitted. I was having a wonderful time ~ I love it when the sky opens up, dumps buckets, then zips up and smiles down at you. That happened two or three times while I was up on deck before the cruise director shooed everyone inside.
The warm rain in the warm outdoors had not prepared me for the shock of being soaked to the skin inside the air-conditioned ship. I made my way back down to my cabin and discovered I looked slightly sexier then a drowned squirrel. I ordered soup to my cabin and got into jammies and under the covers until I warmed back up.
The afternoon’s activities included the Art Auction and raffle, where free Champaign was served. The entertainers taught swing dance lessons at the club Voltage. There was a wine tasting seminar. The spa and fitness centers were busy all day. The movie X-Men 3 played in the Theater. Several workshops were offered throughout the day including couples massage and scrapbooking.
The televisions in the cabins offer several channels about your voyage. These range from background information on our entertainers and Royal Caribbean’s production company to Gaming Lessons from the casino. Other channels focus on shore excursions, shopping, or explanations of what to expect onboard. Movie channels, cartoons and other channels are available as well. The ship does have internet café sections; you activate it with your keycard and are charged $.50 a minute. Alternately, you can create your own login and password to use with your laptop in their wireless sections of the ship on one of their payment plans.
Tonight was Formal Night. The Captain’s Reception served free Champaign and the head’s of staff were introduced. Guests could have their picture taken with the Captain. Formal photos of couples or groups in front of a romantic background were offered.
Then it was off to the Illusions dining room for me where I met Leslie. We shared a three course dinner. I went back up to my cabin and changed into slacks and comfy shoes before going up to see the guest karaoke and then the show ~ Flashback. Directly following that was a comedian. His show was listed as Adults-Only but he did a wonderful job of keeping it funny and not crude and actually drew on the younger audience members for several of the topics.
The dining rooms were holding a Chocolate Buffet between midnight and 1 am. I went to check it out but didn’t stick around when I saw the line circled up both staircases for 2 floors. At the end of my evening I rechecked my schedule for the morning and used the phone to set my wake up call.
Day 4: Nassau
This morning I was out of my cabin early enough that my Attendant could make up my room. In the mornings between 9:00 and noon they come and make the bed up pretty with the spread and extra decorative pillows. In the evenings they come and turn down the bed, remove all the fluffy stuff and leave you a mint. I also sent some clothes to the laundry service before I left.
My tour of Breezes Bahamas was set to start at 9:30 am. It took awhile for everyone to show up so it was extended to a 10 – 2pm excursion. Exiting the ship, my Sea Pass was scanned and checked several times; photographers were taking a variety of poses. Outside there was another ship docked, shuttles coming and going, but actually it was fairly simple to find who your tour was with ~ they were holding signs and before they departed they would give a final call. The walk to our shuttle bus was less then 10 minutes, on the other side of the craft stalls.
Breezes Bahamas: I arranged with the Sales Rep for a tour of the property at 12:30 and then headed down to the pool area. The activities start as early as 7 am (some are available 24 hours a day), the bars open around 10 am. The music came on at 11ish.
Our All-Inclusive Day Pass gave us full use of all the hotel’s amenities for the day. I was so hot and thirsty I couldn’t even imagine drinking alcohol ~ but the water was so disgusting, I couldn’t drink it either. I saw several other people throw it away after one sip as well. I ended up ordering virgin daiquiri’s just to keep myself hydrated with the ice.
I had almost two hours to sit in the shade in the pool and sip sweet drinks before I met with Krystine. The grill opened soon and served everything from nachos, hotdogs and burgers to salads and seafood. Soda and juice were available from self-serve fountains. Local venders had their wares spread out on tables along the path to the beach.
The lunch buffet was being served ~ it was Mexicana Day. I was still so hot I just had a few bites of fruit and cheese. This left me with almost an hour to kill before my bus returned to pick us up ~ so I got back in the pool!
The second dunk cooled me off and I felt much better afterwards. I returned to the ship to fetch money and some dry clothes. Then it was time to go shopping. The television has the recording of the short “where to” seminar I attended the first day. As you departed the ship each person was handed a map of Nassau with the recommended shops and descriptions of what they sell, along with warnings about things to avoid.
Bahamas’ security requires photo ID and your boarding pass to let you back onto the pier. The ship’s security compares your original check-in photo with your face when your Sea Pass is scanned upon return. All items and passengers are subject to the airport-like security measures. No raw or cooked food is allowed. Alcohol is kept securely for you until the last day of the cruise. Our itinerary handout for the day listed how much can be brought back from outside the US without incurring fees and tariffs along with the amounts allowed of those items which are limited.
A midnight BBQ and dance was held up on deck. The last night of karaoke trials was in Voltage. A comedian held court in the Follies Theater. I explored more of the ship & did some shopping on board, before meeting Leslie and Tracy for a drink before bed.
Day 5: Cocoa Cay
Royal Caribbean owns Cocoa Cay. A small venders market is set up on one side. Many water sports and activities are offered. An open grill area dominates the center section and, of course, bars and little tiki hut bars are scattered throughout. A ferry boat shuttles you from the ship and back. Your Sea Pass is the only identification needed, which pulls up your photo for comparison on the return. The boat shuttle stopped at 4 pm and we departed for Port Canaveral at 4:30 pm.
In my cabin I find the envelopes and vouchers for my pre-paid gratuities, the Customs form for re-entering the US, baggage tags for my luggage along with instructions to leave my bags in the hallway before midnight tonight.
I went up on deck for the Sail Away from Cocoa Cay party and stayed to talk to Tracy until early evening. Then back down to my cabin to pack my bags. My instructions say I will be in the 6th wave of 24 called to disembark in the morning. Meaning if they start at 7:30 and it only takes two hours, I could be off the ship as early as 8:00 am
Written by Page Eaton
This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 5th, 2007 at 9:49 pm and is filed under Caribbean, Cruise. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
