Jan 23, 2022 - Return to Port

We are the third of at least 6 ships returning to Port Everglades today. After docking it takes about 45 minutes untilvpassengers begin to disembark. The process is painless, and much smother than in precovid times. Having passengers wait in cabins instead of common areas of the ship is a great improvement.

Pinnacle and Suite passengers are called to exit the ship. No waiting for the elevator or anywhere else in the process. Our luggage is easily found, the facial recognition system quickly passes us through customs and we walk across the driveway to the awaiting bus.  From cabin to car in less than 20 minutes.

The drive back home is exactly the way it is supposed to be. Uneventful. As we get closer to Clermont, the colder the outside temperature becomes. By the time I arrive home at noon, it is 47 degrees. Take me back to sea!

Home for a week to wash clothes and repack for 10 days of back to back cruise on the Brilliance of the Seas out of Tampa.

Days 7 & 8 - Sea Days

Temperatures are near 80, the seas about 9 feet. We are cruising at about 18 or 19 knots, The skies are partly cloudy, clouds such that they preclude a nice sunset or sunrise.

Day 7 finds a solid schedule of music and entertanment. Guitar Melodies with Jabes, the Odyssey of the seas Orchestra, Dinner in the Coastal Kitchen, and another concert with Peter Grant joining the Orchestra.

The production show is "The Effectors" a high tech production in the main theater featuring many laser lights, multiple special effects, arial performers and LED drones flying over the audience. Unfortunately the audio level was deafening, not only to me, but to many other passengers.

The audio aside, yes, the show was spectacular.

The seas began to  subside late in the day.The white caps disappear and the tiny motion imparted to the ship by the waves fades away.

The North Star was operating through the day, but now they are charging for each passsenger. Earlier in the week it was complimentary. Unlike when in port, the arm swings over the side of the ship as well.

The captain's corner was held on the last day of the cruise. He has been a captain for many years. Surprisingly, no stupid questions from the passengers. A short video of many areas of the ship including crew quarters, galley, medical facilities, engine room, control room and bridge.  It probably would have helped more passengers if they saw this at the beginning of the cruise instead of the end.

We pass several other cruise ships today. Two headed north and one headed south. I believe two holland ships, the Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady, and an NCL ship.

The music on the pool deck has become louder. The drums now reverberate in the cabin, sounds that were not heard in the cabin or cabin hallways previously. I sometimes wonder if Royal is trying to have the loudest ships in the world since they lost the title of largest to Carnival.

As we pass along the north side of Cuba the seas have become flat and the air temperature has dropped to 72. Our speed remains at about 18 or 19 knotts.

Having been here over a week I have mixed opinions of the ship. Some of the production shows are spectacular, others not so much so. Headliners are headliners, not dependant on the ship as to quality or enjoyment. Overall the audio is blasted at the highest level I have experienced on any RC ship. Not enjoyable and definitely detracts form the overall experience. To be hearing the pool DJ in the cabins is not what I expect or enjoy. The blasting music reminds me of Carnival ships.

The coastal Kitchen has been excellent overall. Excellent food. Choices similar to the dining room and chops but with much finer presentation and service. 

Public space on the Odyssey is rather limited. I really don't think I would want to be here with a full passenger compliment. Seating outside on deck 5, is limited to about 20 chairs port and starboard. There is no inside seating except within specific venues like Boleroes or the Schooner bar. Yes, there is lots of pool seating for those so inclined, but I'm not generally inclined.

Seating in general is very uncomfortable. The theater seats have a slight forward tilt to them and tight leg room. Considering my stature I don't know how a six footer would fare. Seats are awkardly spaced, and aisles narrow. Large posts block the view for many. 

Many of the seats in other venues are very deep, probably in the neighborhood of 24 inches. Much deeper than normal seating. Not comfortable for average sized people.

Passengers were often seen moving from one seat to another to find one that was more comfortable. There were few to be found.

The two70 venue is set as a theater in the round, In addition to much of the seating being too deep, many of the seats had an obstructed view and much of the performance area could not be seen. The HVAC system was particularly bad in the two70. In one spot it would be unbearably hot, and a foot away the draft of cold air would freeze anyone.

There is no atrium and its associated public seating. Of course the Diamond lounge is way too small, but that is a byproduct of the Crown and Anchor program being successful.

The seaplex provides many athletic activities. Basketball, volleyball, pickelball, bumper cars, IFly simulated sky diving, flowrider surf riding, and more.

In conclusion this ship is built for maximum passenger count, not for passenger comfort.

The menu the last night was a repeat of the first, excellent filet mignon. In eight nights we sat at 7 different tables, but did manage to keep our server count down to three.

The seas remain calm and we are expected to dock in Port Everglades about 6:30 AM.

Day 6 - Willemstad, Curacao

We arrive in Curacao by 7:00 AM ship time, 8:00 AM local time. The captain has elected to keep us on ships time, just to add confusion to those that go ashore and find phones have automatically switched to local time. The risk is low, as with the local time being later than ships time this will not add to passengers being late for boarding. 

An hour passes and the ship still has not been cleared by local authorities. Are we going to be prohibited from docking? Many ships have been turned away recently because of covid. I don't know the exact number, but if illness exceeds a certain percentage, passengers will not be allowed off the ship. There have been no rumors of any illness or medical mishaps, but likewise the ships staff has been tight lipped and shared nothing.

We are docked at the new pier, west of the original pier. I say new, it probably has been in use for 4 or 5 years. The Holland America Amsterdam is docked in front of us, not to be confused with the Holland America MS Amsterdam I sailed around the world on when I first started writing this blog.

The Holland America ship Eurodam is docked in the channel. From a passenger viewpoint, the most desireable location as it is within a 100 feet of the floating bridge and has easy access to everything in the central city area.

About 8:15 we get the word. We are cleared to disembark. Like every port I have been to since Covid, passengers are prohibited from taking any food or liquid ashore including water.

We walk to the pier and take a shuttle to the security gate. Like Aruba, it has been reconfigured. Here it appears that the change was made so that you need to walk past more street vendors. 

The private tour company I booked here sent me a map outlining exactly where the car and driver would be waiting for us. Very easy. As we were approaching, the driver flashed his lights and drove to meet us. I guess we looked like tourists and were easy to spot. 

Elmer introduces himself. A lifelong native of Curacao he worked in the refineries for many years, but with capacity and employment cut back 80% he found himself in need of a new career.  He is certifed not only as a general tour guide, but also as a Jewish history guide, and a Curacao history guide, each requiring over a year of training.  In addition to helping tourists he is also a teacher.

The first hour we spend touring the nearby neighborhoods of the UNESCO heritage sites. Most of the buildings date back to the 1700's. Made of coral they are structually very durable, but the retained salt in the coral easily blisters the finished surface which needs to be repaired every couple of years. Often government funds are available for some of the restoration cost.

Much of the old area of the city was established by the Jewish, but today most have moved away. Accurate historical records have been kept and many come here to research thier family history.

The floating bridge has been in operation over 100 years, and now only carries foot traffic. Originally there was a fee if you wore shoes, none if you were barefoot.

Of course there was a stop at the Blue Curacao distillery. Only the bottle is protected by copyright and patent laws. The liquors are made in many countries, but  the distintive bottle is only made here. Curacao also comes in yellow, red yellow and several other colors. The difference being the food coloring.

We drive thru the newer area of the island with million  dollar homes and million dollar views. In the harbor is an enormous floating platform used to assemble and disassemble oil rigs. One of the largest such rigs in the world.

A nearby resort was recently bought by Sandals and after refurbishing will be one of the largest and most exclusve resorts on the island.

We drive to the North west coast and stop to witness the waves crashing into the rocks and sending spray 40 or 50 feet in the air.  The coastline is very rough, and the seas today are also rough. Now that I am writing this, the road was also very rough. No tour bus will ever come here, just vehicles designed for off road such as the Toyota we are in.

We move to the other side of the island to stop at a popular local beach in a small community where fishermen bring in their daily catch, turtles follow the fishermen back to shore looking for a handout, and snorkelers enjoy the sea turtles.

Unfortunately this is a bad beach day. There is a minimal police presence in addition to the sunburnt snorkelers. There is a dead body on the beach waiting for the arrival of the proper authorities. There is no indication of foul play and most beachgoers are oblivious to the situation.

We head to lunch at a restaurant overlooking the water about 500 yards down the shore. The parking lot is unusually empty. Elmer spots a friend and stops to talk with him. The restaurant is closed because the two chefs that work the kitchen were killed in an automobile accident.  This is not a good day in this neighborhood.

With Elmer not being comfortable with any other nearby restaurant we begin our ride back to Willemstad. We pass numerous plantation houses dating back to the time of slavery. They were often positioned on hills so the owner could oversee the workers in the fields.

Curacao has always been a distribution center for all types of goods, including slaves. Slaves were brought from South Africa, trained here, then sold to other nations after they had been taught the required skills.

One plantation house we visited is occupied by the sister of aclaimed local artist Nena Sanchez. Her artistry was good, but I have no need for any.

We continue back to town and have our driver drop us at the fort near the floating bridge. A sandwich at a restaurant I have frequented in the past was excellent.

The day on Curacao was much better than Aruba. Maybe that is why I have always said Curacao was my favorite port in the Caribbean.

Back on the ship an hour listening to Jabes on the guitar, another excellent dinner in the Coastal Kitchen.

We leave Curacao about 5:30 to begin our two day trip back to Florida.

The seas are predicted to be about 3 meters or 9 to 10 feet. They are, but the ship is hardly affected. Temperatures are still near 80. Tomorrow is a sea day.

Day 5 - Aruba

As we get further south the seas continue to calm. We slip into the dock at Aruba behind another ship. A former Royal ship that has been sold and renamed. I am unable to read the name, but definitely used to be in the Royal Caribbean fleet, as she sports the unique Crown Lounge which existed on all ships prior to Oasis Class. She looks like a sister ship to the Monarch which went to the scrap heap last year.

Weeks prior to the cruise I decided to book private tours in Aruba and Curacao to avoid the crowed tour busses and to allow us to see what we want at the pace we want without the inconvenience of dealing with crowds.  

I have a message that our private tour driver will be holding a sign with my name just outside the port gate. Of course after the port gate configuration being the same for a decade, it has now changed and been moved.

We were two of only a few passengers disembarking first thing in the morning and not taking a Royal sponsored excursion. Finding my way to the gate, it was easy to find our driver. We were the only passengers at the gate, and he was the only driver with a sign.

After a difficult converstion of him asking where we wanted to go and me trying to tell him to show us the best things to see on the island, we were on our way.

Sometimes the best made plans of mice and men don't work out as planned.  The van was probably a 10 passenger vehicle. There were two of us and the driver. The road noise level was high as you might expect in a truck not a passenger vehicle. There were speakers throughout, but no mic. Actually that really didn't matter as he was better qualified to be a taxi driver than a tour guide. He had very little to tell us about his country and fundamentally struggled to answer our questions.

Regardless we did see the major attractions. Lynn climbed the 117 steps to the top of the California lighthouse. We made several stops to view the rugged cactus covered terrain. Of course we had to tour the Aloe factory, every tour goes there even dull ones. Additional stops at the natural bridge that collapsed years ago and the 300 year old church rounded out our morning.

The guide at the Aloe factory was excellent. She knew the history, the process, the products, and she spoke very clearly. Of course a small purchase resulted.

At the conclusion of our tour we choose to go to Iguana Joe's, A restaurant and bar not far from the port that I have frequented a number of times over the years.  Another disappointment, just a sign "opening soon", and "now hiring". Signs that look as if they have been there for months if not a couple years. Another casualty of covid.

We spot another outside restaurant of similar layout closeby. We order, a couple of adult beverages and just a plain old fashioned cheesburger sounds good after all the fancier food on the ship. We wait and wait. Finally the waitress comes by and apologizes for the delay in the kitchen. Probably another half hour and our burgers arrive.

The top and bottom bun are stale and hard and at least an inch thick each. I decide to east just the burger, cheese and bacon with a knife and fork.  The bacon and cheese are excellent. The burger not so much so,  It is probably the most overcooked ground beef patty I have ever encountered. I struggle to cut it with a knife, and though not a steak knife, a sharp table knife never the less.

If I thought cutting it was difficult, chewing was tougher. Most of it remained uneaten. A discount was applied to the bill.  

The drinks were good though!

All is not as bad in Aruba as it may seem. A brief check of the sandbar on the seaward side of the ship reveal that the lone tree is still surviving. A mainstay that looked like it would be washed away in the next high tide when I first saw it about 10 years ago. Hopefully it will remain for many more years. I will come back to check periodically, probably without a private tour.

Back on the ship. Cocktails and the usual excellent dinner. We have our now hopefully, regular waiter, but yet are seated at a different table. Not that it matters at all except we were told the first night that we would have the same waiter and table every night. 

The headliner show, Scotty Cavanaugh, a comedian and juggler is excellent. He has added some new material since I last saw him, but really an act that does not easily fall into the category of "I saw that once".

After the headliner we go to a production show in two70. "The Book".  A collection or dancing, violinist, music, aerial acrobats and high tech images. If there is a story, it escapes anyone I have spoken with. My impression is the production is only "what can we do to show off all the trechnical capabilities" without regard to audience entertainment, theme, or story.  

We are schulded to leave Aruba about 11 PM to head to Curacao. I am sound asleep.

Days 3 & 4 - Sea Days

The night leaving Nassau and heading south you would never believe the seas were over 9 feet and the winds 35 mph. The ship barely wiggled. There was just enough motion that if you paid attention you could tell you were on a ship. There are some advantages to big ships.

Storms behind us produced a spectacular light show. Close enough to be seen, but far enough away that thunder could not be heard. the captain did a good job of getting ahead of the front.

Entertainment appears to have returned to precovid levels for production shows, headliner shows and live musicians. The members of the orchestra come from across the globe. Ukraine to Australia, Argentina to Poland, and several countries in between.  Together they mmake an excellent orchestra.

This ship has a focus on technology and some entertainment is produced "virtually" a fancy word for a video on a large screen with a theater sound system.

We attend a "Virtual Symphony Concert". Essentialy a video of an orchestra playing.  Sorry, not very effective in my opinion. No, I stand corrected, I guess in the opinion of many passengers as the Two70 is nearly empty for the performance, and most of us leave before the conclusion.

As has been the case for years, the phone app is hit and miss. Dinner reservations have been lost for many passengers, including yours truly. Sometimes it just doesn't work. Other items are missing or inaccurate. Billing  is sporadically inaccurate.

Yesterday in Nassau the app said there were no spaces left for the "North Star", a bubble like enclosure that is raised to 350 feet above the sea.  Deciding I would like to do that I went to the boarding area, asked the attendant if and when there were any spaces available and was immediately boarded.

The view was fantastic and the movement surprisingly smooth. Very similar to the very large wheels in Hong Kong, London, and Orlando. I will need to see if I can do it again.

During breakfast there was a brief shower which produced several unusual rainbows. No, the colors are normal, but the end of the rainbow appeared to be no more than 50 feet from the side of the ship. Very unusual.

Being distracted by a flury of email activity with the train club I belong to I just make it to the top tier party. Nothing special, not even any information except the bare minimum. We have 51 Pinnacle passengers and 210 Diamond plus passengers.  They do show a video on the 7 million dollar robotic screens. Personally I find the experience similar to the Bionic bar. Interesting to see once, but nothing to draw you back.

Of most interest is confirmation that the ship is carrying 1597 crew members and only 1630 passengers. Less than 30% of normal capacity. Not good for my stock earnings, but fantastic for the passengers that are here. No wonder the shuttle bus on Saturday was near empty.

Interestingly the prior rumors put the passenger count as low as 900 and as high as 2900. Just shows why not to believe rumors.

As the day progresses the seas become more calm. Our speed drops from 19 to 14 knots as we move south of the storm producing front. The temperatures rise the further south we travel.

The production show is good except for the audio. Again way too loud for these good ears. Fortunately I remeber my new ear plugs. They work much better than the foam ones I have used for years.  They do a good job of attenuating all frequencies equally whereas the foam ear plugs effect the high and low frequencies differently. Good for noise reduction but not good for quality sound attenuation.  I email my daughter to order another pair.

Sometimes there are unforseen and undesireable side effects of new technology.  The hallway lights getting brighter and dimmer so far has just required getting used to the change.  Another bit of new technology is a little different.

All the elevators have "touch free" elevator buttons.  They are a little difficult to get used to after having to actually push a deck button all my life.  The tendency is to try and push these. They don't really move, but eventually it will sense your finger and activate.  The best way to use them is exactly what the name implies. Hold your finger about a quater inch in front of the button and your finger will be sensed.

Now what is unforseen is to never stand in the corner of the elevator by the buttons. If you do, you run the risk of the elevator sensing your presence and activating to stop at every deck. No it wasn't me, but the passenger was so embarrassed.  Just thank goodness there are few kids on this ship, else the elevators would never get anywhere.

The elevator piano player is here, but mostly delegated to playing at various locations around the ship. I imagine covid is banning him from riding up and down on the elevators all evening.

The cappella group Mosaic is the headliner show for the second sea day. Different, very talented, and an excellent show. The  main theater is probably 60% full.

Dinner, or more specifically dinner service in the Coastal Kitchen was not up to expectations established the past several days. a brief converstaion with the desk when we left the restaurant was even more disappointing, He had no concern about the service. we will see what happens in the next few nights.  We were told we would have the same waiter every night, but so far we have had three. I doubt there are more than four in the room.

The further south we travel, the more the seas calm and the temperatures rise. Tomorrow we are scheduled to arrive in Aruba at 8:00 ships time, 9:00 AM local time. This captain is electing to stick to ships time regardless of the local time.

Day 2 - Nasssu

The passage to Nassau is smooth and quiet. The temperatures are expected to be in the mid 70's with increasing winds and a chance of a shower.

As the day progresses the winds change, and the waves outside the protection of the harbor grow to 5 or 6 feet or more with a constant spray coming off the crest to the waves before they crash into the rock retaining walls. Eventually they subside some as the wind moves further to the south.

At times the ship seems very empty. There are rumors as to what the passenger count is. Not surprisingly, they vary widely. I will wait until I have more accurate information.

One inovation on this ship is the hallway lighting. It starts out at a low level, and then as someone is detected in the hallway increases to full brightness.

I am sure this will save fuel. How much may be in question, there is often at least one person in the hallway, which will keep the lights at a bright level.

The cabin is very typical. A tiny desk, sofa, two closets and a chest of drawers which also hold a mini fridge. Two large cabinets over the headboard will store several of the extra pillows.  My need for the shoe hanger does not exist on this ship, nor most other modern ships of the past 5 years or so.

I-Fly, bumper cars, flow rider, rock climbing, bungee bounce pad, basketball, pool and a large sports bar complex are just a few of the activites/areas. Definitely designed for a younger crowd.

The Odyssey of the seas has several music venues. The Music Hall, Boleros, The schooner bar, and the Crown & Anchor pub, along with the main theater and  the Two70 complex which is a high tech multipurpose venue.

We are one of 4 ships in Nassau, and definitely the largest. The Freedom of the Seas is next to us, a Carnival ship and a Disney ship fill most of the berths.

This is only a wild guess, but I suspect only 30% of the passengers venture off the ship. We are  not  among them.

The Windjammer is typical of modern Royal ships, with various themed food stations. Plenty of variety, and as expected the staff is serving everything. Well everthing except coffee, juice and water which you can serve yourself sometimes.

The Diamond lounge is on a lower deck, but at least has a few outside windows.

Dinner in the coastal kitchen is again superb. Very close to the experience of Chops. When we arrive at 5:30 I think there was 1 or 2 tables occupied. As dinner progressed more table began to fill in.  Since they are practicing social distancing, even full they are only at half capacity.

I quickly that the majority of passengers in the coastal kitchen are Pinnacle members. Now whether they are also suite passengers is a separate question. This is of significance as the coastal kitchen is only available to suite passengers and Crown & Anchor Pinnacle members. With 125 suites on the ship and 51 Pinnacle passengers you would expect just the opposite.

Vocalist Peter Grant is the headliner entertainer for tonight. He is good, but his performance is degraded by the audio tech that amplifies the drums and some other instruments so much that the piano and his voice can not be heard or understood.  Just for kicks I measure the audio level with my uncalibrated audio app and the peak level is 110 Dba, and the average 100 Dba. Way over amplified.

I own ear plugs for a reason even though I did forget to take them to the show. I won't forget again.

Jabes plays instrumental guitar in the Schooner bar. A pleasant relief from the main theater. With limited seating, the Schooner bar quicky fills to capacity. Even if all seats were open, I feel it is smaller than on many other ships.

The regular piano bar player each evening is Daniel Marks. A young gentleman from England. Very animated and a good entertainer. In contrast to many, he almost entirely plays requests.

As we leave Nassau and head south to Aruba the seas are expected to increase to 9 feet or so with 35 mph winds. The trailing edge of a storm that hammered much of the eastern atlantic region of the US and produced tornadoes a few miles from my home in Clermont.

Being so large, motion in the ship is barely noticeable. The bubble app in my phone indicates a roll of less than +/- .8 degrees. Yes that is eight tenths of one degree.

Tomorrow will be the first of two sea days needed to reach Aruba. We are cruising at a comfortble 18 knots just behind the front moving south.

Day 1 - Odyssey of The Seas

The last few weeks have been problematic in the cruise world. Some ships have had increased numbers of covid cases. The CDC has advised everyone to avoid cruise ships. the Omicron variant of the virus is rampant in many areas of the country, but fortunately most cases are mild and existing vaccines are very effective.

NCL cancelled several sailings for severlal ships. Royal is using three of their ships to quarantine crew members. Some ships, including this one on a previous sailing have been denied dockage  in some ports due to covid infection level.

My perspective is a little more analytical. I am fully vaccinated and boostered. Nearly every passenger is vaccinated before they are allowed on a cruise ship. Every passenger must test negative prior to boarding. Crew is tested twice per week.  My risk on a ship is less than shopping in Publix or Target.

Packing is very easy, thanks to a very detailed packing list that I have developed over the past years. Much more reliable than my memory. Now don't misunderstand this. I don't necessarily take everything on my list.  For example there is a chance or showers in Aruba but the wind is expected to be about 25 knots. Too high for an umbrella. I'll take my chances on just getting wet.

I leave the house at 8:00 on Saturday morning. the traffic on the turnpike is lite and I  make good time to Ft Pierce, my usual spot for restroom, fuel, and a bite for breakfast.  Construction at the exit ramp and probably a missed sign and I have to travel an extra 2000 feet to reach my favorite Pilot gas station.

Back on the road, and the temperature has risen to 75. We take a few minutes to listen to our safety drill. A much more pleasant way than standing packed shoulder to shoulder on deck with thousands of other passengers.

I arrive at the Park-N-Go parking lot just before my 12:00 PM expected arrival time. There are only 4 of us on the shuttle bus. Maybe an indicator of things to come. 

About a 3 minute wait outside the terminal and then the process begins. Do you have all your paper work? The check of passport and negative covid test report. Nearly everyone I see is showing paper forms. I guess the word has spread that paper is easier to find and scan than forms buried somewhere deep in the memory cells of a mobile phone. Luggage scans, picture ID verification, body patdown or pass thru metal detectors. Within 30 minutes we are entering the ship.

My first stop is The Coastal Kitchen. An attempt to make dinner reservations at 5:30 everynight. I'm rebuked, the earliest time available is 7:45, but we may be able to switch later if there is a cancellation.  We go for it.

While there we decide to spend the hour waiting for cabins to open and enjoying lunch. Properly set tables with an attentive waiter is sure a change from the usual crowds in the buffet.

Lunch was delicious.  A quick stop to check in at our muster station. By now the cabins are open.

A typical standard balcony with a few modern features. You are supposed to put your sea pass card in a slot to activate all the stuff in the cabin.  Not going to happen. I want the AC on so when I return to the cabin it is comfortable.  A carefully folded card works fine in the slot to keep things operating.

A head stop is first. Pushing the button does not activate a flushing cycle.  A call to maintenance and it is quickly fixed with the explanation that this is a new ship.

Often there is fruit and cookies in my cabin. Always a surprise as to what it will be. This time 3 cookies, 4 bottles of water and 18 cans of diet coke. Not going to be thirsty this week.

There is a knock at the door. There is a crowd outside. Two people are here to fix the safe. I haven't even tried to use it yet. They check a list to confirm they are at the correct cabin. I check the safe and it works fine.

Next in line my cabin steward is here to introduce himself and to check that the plumbing has been fixed. We try, it is is still working even if a little hesitantly.

The last person in the group is a gal from the galley. She delivers 4 more cans of water and 4 cans of diet sprite.  I later hear they can't get bottled water and are reverting to canned water. Why so much, I have no clue.

The ship of course is nearly brand new, having been launched in 2020. Packed with technology and lots of activities. More on that later.

Dinner in The coastal kitchen was excellent. As Lynn and I were finishing dinner we were asked if we would like to switch our reservations to 5:30 for the rest of the cruise. Absolutely.

A short stint at the piano bar and it was the end of the day. Seas were less than 5 feet as we cruised from Ft Lauderdale on our way to Nassau.