Good morning! I slept 11:30-7:30 which is about my maximum unless I’m seriously sleep deprived or sick. I think it helps that I’m in my own time zone on this cruise. My last four have either been on the east coast or the west coast.

This is the view from the “secret deck” just outside of my room.

Here is today’s schedule of events.

I have mail. On Panorama they don’t have these mail boxes. They would wedge that envelope between the room number and the wall.

It’s my excursion ticket for Belize. I hate that 7am meeting time. I may have to try room service that morning. That’s too early for breakfast.

I’m going to check out the lido deck then head down to the coffee shop.

There are three options for coffee on this ship outside of the lido buffet coffee. You have the Java Blue coffee shop where most people go. Then you have the Ocean Plaza bar where most people don’t know they can get coffee. They also have Cuban coffee when the Havana bar opens but it opens later and I don’t remember liking it last time.

I was going to get coffee from the Java Blue because it had the shorter line. Then I remembered I needed to purchase Cheers. I don’t know if you can do that at the coffee shop or not. I know you can at the bars so I went to the Ocean Plaza bar to be safe.

It looks like they have a holiday duck hunt going on.

I had no problem purchasing Cheers at the Ocean Plaza bar. I went with a large mocha for my first coffee.

I requested a table for brunch on the hub app and headed down to the dining room.

On Panorama I would’ve usually had a table assigned by now. What I do notice is they aren’t having to show people how to request a table as much as on Panorama. Maybe people are picking it up.

I moved closer to the entrance and sat my coffee on the hand sanitizer station. One lady walked up, said “alright” and showed me her phone. Then she said “oh wait you don’t work here.” I must look really official in my “Department of Domeland  Security” t-shirt.

It took 11 minutes to get a table. Not horrible but I don’t think I ever had to wait five on Panorama for breakfast or brunch.

I hate my table. On Panorama they always seated me in the back for breakfast and brunch. Here I’m on the side where everyone is walking by and my table is about three inches from the next table.

They really try to sell their juice. I’ve heard it’s good but it’s $5 for a glass and it’s not included in Cheers. I haven’t even gotten my food yet and I’ve had four different people stop to try to sell me their juice.

They have brunch entertainment today. A crew member is singing Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler.” It’s…..interesting. It’s better than me trying to sing La Bamba, but not by much.

I decided to give the 12 hour French toast another try. On Magic it was undercooked. But I still read about people liking it so I’m going to give it another try.

I also got side orders of bacon and hash browns.

I don’t think I’ll ever be a 12 hour French toast guy. I want to be that guy. I’m trying to be that guy. I love French toast. I just don’t think it was meant to be cooked in a huge block. It was better than last time but that center just doesn’t seem cooked. I just ate around the edges. Then the waiter asked if I wanted dessert. I thought maybe since I didn’t eat much this would be a good time to try a brunch dessert–Something I’ve never done before. 

Banana cream pie

Nah. It’s okay but not worth the calories 

I’m just going to get a black coffee this time. 

They have this seating at the coffee shop here. On Panorama that’s just a standing room pickup your coffee spot. Nobody is really using the seating. The coffee shop isn’t really a place you sit at like a bar. Tired grumpy people just want you to your coffee and move on. I think it’s wasted space with the barstools. On Panorama people would stand there to wait on their coffee. Here nobody is going near that side because of those stools.

I found a spot with a view out on the lanai.

I passed by pixels and saw it was open with no line so I picked up my pin and luggage tag.

The nice thing about being on deck 7 is it’s a lot easier to say “I’m going to take the stairs up” when it’s 2-3 flights of stairs than it is to say that for 5-6 flights of stairs.

One challenge this cruise is to get to my room I have pass up the room I stayed in for a week on Panorama.

Light this week is sponsored by the Steward. 

Lido deck isn’t very crowded for 10:30 on a sea day.

They have festive towel animals at the towel hut.

Today is an NFL Sunday. I was going to try to do an early lunch before football but I was thinking Guys burgers opened at 10:30 or 11 but it’s actually 12. That’s going to be too late to get a seat in the sports bar. I’m going to get a sandwich from the deli instead.

On Mardi Gras and Panorama they had someone stationed outside the buffet on mask duty but I haven’t seen that here.

They’re putting out the cakes.

I got a buffalo chicken sandwich, a Shiner Bock, and a seat with a view.

I have had this sandwich once before and I remember the chicken being bigger. It looks like they cut it in half now.

I just ripped off all of the bun that didn’t have chicken inside of it. It was quite a substantial portion of the bun. But I think my partial late breakfast and my partial early lunch combo is enough to fill me up for football.

It looks like something big is happening in the Ocean Plaza. They mentioned a jackpot.

In the back of Ocean Plaza on Panorama there would be bathrooms to the left. Here there’s a door that takes you to the Red Frog Pub.

But there are bathrooms in this entryway off to the right.

It was worth a try, but this is the standard ship bloody mary. It’s not the like the really good ones they have at Pig & Anchor which replaces the Red Frog Pub on Horizon, Panorama, and Mardi Gras.

I’m about to head downstairs to the sports bar. On Panorama this area is the Carnival Kitchen and this teen club is up by the arcade.

I was able to get a seat mid bar. Hopefully they’re going to put some real football on soon.

They have four games on. But the one that’s on the audio isn’t on any of the TVs.

I’ve been trying to get another bloody mary for awhile. This place is packed and they have just one bartender trying to make all of the drinks so it’s tough.

They did finally change the sound to a game that is actually on one of the TVs.

Screen down!

The emergency is over.

I’m switching to Toasted Amber beer.

I realized it was 4:38 and the alchemy opened at 4:00 on this ship. I headed to the alchemy but the bar was full so I continued past it for a stout at the Red Frog Pub.

It’s still no way no chance for the alchemy so I’m just going to get ready for dinner.

Wait. Two people just got up. Is Bo taking both seats or no seats?

No seats

This is a very good first drink from Raunak. He calls it the mixed berry drink.

Another great drink from Raunak. This is a pineapple drink with berries.

Yeah I’m getting one of those next. Raunak calls it the chocolate mint drink.

These are tequila drinks from Raunak that look good.

I may not leave here. He has a snickers drink he’s going to make. He has to the coffee shop for ingredients. I’m going to pick up some peanut butter in Cozumel tomorrow so he can make a Reece’s drink.

This guy down the bar says, “Uhh excuse me what is that logo on your shirt there?” American Eagle. “Oh I don’t have my glasses on and I thought it was maybe a college team with all of this college stuff going on.” 

Raunak is making these for two ladies at the bar next to me. He’s calling it his expresso drink.

The ladies getting had a guy come up saying he was their husband. Alrighty then.

This is Raunak’s Snickers drink. He had to go down to the coffee shop to get ingredients for it. That’s dedication.

I requested a table for dinner on the hub app and it’s ready now.

The app did good work on this seating. They seated me next to a smoking hot female solo cruiser dressed for a college cheerleader practice. The short shorts and whatnot–on elegant night. 

She’s behind the water bottle.

This is the Pirate Punch which is basically a rum punch.

This is the mushroom bisque.

The lobster, mushroom risotto, and broccoli. Pre-COVID this meal also came with three jumbo shrimp. You can order more than one lobster tail if you want but it always seems to be enough for me.

This is the creme brulee.

After dinner I headed back to the alchemy only to find out that pirate punch I had in the dining room put me at my 15 drink limit. Raunak couldn’t give me a drink but he gave me what he calls drink 16 which is a strawberry that has been soaking in vodka.

And a water.

I’m heading to the liquid lounge. Here is a look at the atrium on the way.

They have the show “Flick” going on in the liquid lounge. I saw it a couple times pre-COVID.

I left in time to make it to the adult comedy show. They had the door closed and said they were full.

Then walking past the door they let this lady in the reverse way so I followed her.

I quickly found a seat.

Jason Blanchard 

That was my first time seeing Jason Blanchard. He was pretty good.

Electronic Violins are playing in the atrium.

In the elevator a lady asks a guy where his mask is. The guy says in the safe next to his vaccination card.

They have a dive-in movie playing on lido deck.

I’m going to grab a sandwich from the deli before it closes.

Grilled Ham and cheese.

Good night. Tomorrow we’re in Cozumel.

 

 

 

 

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