Just a few tips for making the most of your cruise ~
Entertainment
Ice Show
Please make sure you don’t miss the ice show on the ship! You will be amazed that they can put on such a show at sea. Tickets are free but must be picked up in order to attend. You can pick up the tickets on your first day aboard the ship (there is usually a table set up in the Promenade where you can get your tickets) or tickets are available at set times throughout the cruise. There were 4 sessions but you need tickets in advance. Check the cruise compass for the times that the tickets are distributed. I suggest arriving at least a half hour prior to the showtime so you can have your choice of seats. As long as you are not sitting behind a pole, the view is pretty good from all seats.
Parades
There are 3 parades. Try to get a seat in front of the bars for the best views. They were a lot of fun.
Other things to do are bingo, Trivia contests, napkin folding, towel folding, cooking classes, arts & crafts and more. There were so many that we couldn’t do everything.
SPA and Fitness Center
Remember, make your spa appointments as soon as you board the ship! There is a really nice and large indoor Jacuzzi in the fitness center.
Pool deck
In addition to the main pool, there is a lovely adults-only solarium. It is near the spa and has really comfortable lounges. Although it is not covered, it was partially enclosed so was not as cold as the main pool area.
Promenade
This is a great people or gathering place. In addition to 2 bars and the café, there are the usual stores. During the week, there will be sales on watches, jewelry, pocket books and jewelry. This is also the location of the parades and the cooking demonstrations. For those who haven’t sailed on this class of ship before, the promenade is a great place to just hang out. One of the nice features was that the captain had his party in the promenade. The captain’s staff was introduced and they all stood on one of the bridges that over looked the promenade. It was a nice touch.
Entertainment Staff
Our cruise director, Allan, was great. The guy could have done stand-up comedy. He had us rolling at the newlywed game and the quest game. I didn’t see him around the ship much but on a ship this size, you rarely expect to see the cruise director.
His staff was good, mostly young, energetic people from all over the world. Bingo Spice, from London, handled Bingo and the napkin folding. She has an adorable British accent and had guests trying to mimic her throughout the napkin folding class. Trivia was handled by a number of the entertainment staff members. The entertainment staff had a lot of energy and it showed in everything they did.
Food
Café Promenade on deck 5. This is a great choice for fast bites and snacks. At the front of the Café, there is a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream stand (for an extra fee). They also offer Seattle’s Best Coffee. There was no fee for coffee and snacks unless you ordered specialty drinks. Please check before ordering.
The Café is open until the wee hours of the morning for those late owls. In the AM, there are pastries and such for breakfast. For lunch and later, there are small sandwiches (changes daily), pizza, cookies and pastries. The chocolate chip cookies are great. Coffee, tea and iced water are always available, as is fruit such as bananas, kiwi and oranges. The café is great for snacks when coming back from excursions.
Johnnie Rockets- on deck 12 is lots of FUN.
It is very small and there is a $3.95 cover charge to get in. This was implemented as part of crowd control so that the kids and teens don’t make this their hangout. Crown and Anchor members get 1 free admission per person with the coupon book that is in the cabin upon arrival.
Upon entering, you get a grand HELLO from the staff and fellow diners and are promptly given a plate of onion rings and a ranch dressing, and fries with a plate of ketchup designed in a smiley face. The menu consists of malts (extra fee for those but great), burgers and sandwiches as well as desserts. The staff would dance and sing at set intervals and it was a blast. It is a must do on the cruise!
Portofinos
This is well worth the $20 pp surcharge. The food was spectacular and so was the service.
General Comments
Although this ship was full, it didn’t really seems crowded. The sports deck was fully utilized for a staff vs. guest dodge ball contest and there were lots of people doing inline skating and watching the rock climbers. The promenade was bustling but there really wasn’t much in terms of crowded areas.
Being such a large ship, there were plenty of space for guests to find for themselves. Since part of the cruise was heading into cold weather, the indoor activities were very heavily attended. We found that we needed to arrive at each activity at least ½ hour before it started in order to get seats. Normally, guests would be spread out all over the ship but due to the cold weather, everyone was indoors and getting seats at the activities was difficult.
There are shows each night, whether a song/dance act, comedian, ventriloquist, etc.
The best of the entertainment was the newlywed game and Quest, a scavenger type game held in Studio B. Don’t miss either- since they are both hysterical.
You can keep track of your onboard bill on the interactive TV.
