Good Morning! I got up about an hour ago. My phone said 7:30 but it was actually 8:30 ship time with the change this morning. I jumped up and got ready. I was out of the room at 9am. I walked up the stairs a bit for some morning pictures.

Here is today’s Fun Times.

Then I headed down to deck 5. The coffee line was 13 people deep so I passed it. The casino bar was open. That’s nice since it was closed in the mornings on Splendor. I realized I need my straws so I ran back to the room real quick.

I probably wasn’t gone more than five minutes and my steward, Rafael, had already made up my room. The question is will he still do evening service as I requested? If so he’s going above and beyond here because I told him I didn’t need any service in the morning.

After retrieving my straws I headed back to the bar for a breakfast screwdriver.

Here is a look at the beer selection.

The coffee line died down to two people.

I got a large mocha to take to breakfast.

The way I used to do sea days was go to the dining room for breakfast and lunch. Now that they cut brunch off at noon, I’m going to do what they want me to do. Eat breakfast there then lunch on lido. Maybe I’ll do pasta or a burrito. I’m not doing that burger again today. 

I go down and it’s kind of a mess of people standing around. One lady has an iPad and is putting in table requests for those who didn’t use the app. She has me lining up behind people who haven’t requested a table yet. They really should have two lines. One for people with a table assignment and one for those who don’t.

I got the skillet cake with a side of bacon and hash browns.

The temperature is still wrong.

After breakfast I got a spicy bloody mary from atrium bar.

Then I headed to the fun aboard, fun ashore presentation with CD Ryan. I’ll sit through it since I haven’t been to Bermuda.

Masks are required walking through the terminal in Bermuda. They will provide them for us. No food or beverages are allowed off the ship.

I stepped back out to the atrium bar for another bloody mary.

Then I picked up my platinum gift and pin from pixels. After that I stopped by the casino to grab my free play.

They have a “Bermuda highlights show” in the main lounge. It looks like it’s just a shopping show so I’m not doing that.

Motown showdown in 15 mins will be next on my agenda. I think that’s replacing either the hairy chest contest or the lip synch auditions.

Captain announcement: Sea depth is 40 thousand feet. It reminds me of part of a joke Russ Nagel does. “Why do pilots tell you how high you are? As long as we’re high enough to clear obstructions, I don’t care. Same thing with the ship. I don’t care how deep the water is as long as we stay on top.”

The internet doesn’t seem to work at all outside on lido. I had to step inside to get a page to load.

I grabbed a Toasted Amber from the Red Frog Rum Bar.

CD Ryan at Motown Showdown.

He basically splits the ship into two sides and it’s a dance contest between the two sides. I would participate but I’m busy getting another Toasted Amber.

This is actually really smart. I’m not sure if other CDs are doing it or not. This is the first time I’ve seen it.

The best part of the now defunct Lip Synch Battle was at the end when they dress the guy up as Tina Turner for Rolling on a River. People always went crazy. I’d go just to catch that part and see the reaction then leave. Well Ryan did it for the finale of Motown showdown. It’s smart to work such a popular moment into the the new schedule.

There are really no events I’m interested in the rest of the afternoon. I’ll probably grab lunch, hit the Serenity bar, and use my free play in the casino.

I think I’ll grab a burrito. I’ll probably be more of a Blue Iguana Cantina guy now that Guy’s Burgers has gone downhill. 

I need to pair this with a Corona. I’m heading over to the Blue Iguana Tequila bar.

I had a 10 minute wait for a Corona doing it the right way at Blue Iguana. A lady tried going in the sever area there and was told to go to the walk up area. I knew the people by the barstools weren’t staying so I waited for one to leave, then I moved in.

I took my beer and burrito to the buffet where they don’t have bar service but they do have available seating. There is no other seating available on lido.

This is jalapeño tortilla with beef, black beans, and everything else on it. Guac and hot sauce. 

This is a strawberry mills feuille. It’s like a croissant in the middle. It’s different and pretty good.

It’s nice and quiet way up on deck 15.

I got a mudslide.

I’m trying to figure out what the local beer option is. I don’t see anything from New York.

I see Athens Georgia. I bet the NY beers are too expensive to carry.

That was pretty good. I got another.

Five times I’ve been on dream class ships and I think I just found a bathroom I’ve never seen. This is one deck down from Serenity one deck up from the water park. It’s a pretty secluded little hallway.

I just came across the ship coin.

This is the negative to having the Alchemy Bar in Ocean Plaza. I can’t get a seat because it’s filled with people playing trivia.

I’m going to slide into the Red Frog Pub.

I got a Toasted Amber.

I messed up my bed a little to see if Rafael was going to give me the evening service I requested. If he fixes this he’s doing as I asked and just added an extra service this morning. That would bump him to the top of my list for Saint Greg’s Steward of the Year.

Looks good!

I headed back down to the Alchemy and was able to get a place at the table! 

Nikola made this. I asked for something sweet but this has that bitter pink lemonade taste.

This is just weird. Even though there’s an extra seat next to me this guy squeezes between me and the empty seat to order his and his wife’s drinks.

Now he’s singing. Fortunately I brought my headphones.

Sometimes there are some positives to the bar here. A little Stone Temple Pilots from this solo guitarist.

This guy and woman were talking on either side of me got into serious conversation for awhile.

I almost asked if one of them wanted to switch spots. But that’s always a tough situation because then they know they’re bothering me. I just fought through it and finally she went to karaoke.

She screams “who is going to karaoke with me?” Crickets

This drink is from Bijesh.

This is why you never know with the cruise TV.

I walk to the bathroom through the Red Frog Pub and the Mets game is on. They aren’t on any of the ESPN channels but here they’re on “ESPN Live.”

Such detail in that drink from Bijesh. Look at the blueberry inside the strawberry.

I requested a table for dinner.

 

Is Jimmy his given name?

Bread.

Baby spinach salad.

Meatball soup.

Spaghetti carbonara.

They took so long on the carbonara that I left before dessert. It would’ve been creme brulee. I wanted to make it to The Batman on lido deck.

I saw some had this movie rated ahead of Top Gun: Maverick. No way. It’s not even close.

They have a few college games on at the casino bar.

I stopped by the room. Rafael made up my room and delivered my laundry. He’s a good one.

You don’t see this anymore. Rafael still delivers the paper copies of the Fun Times.

He also replaced my bags and forms. Normally I have to ask the steward for more.

I headed down to the main lounge for tonight’s show which is Flick.

The husband and wife duo is back in the atrium.

The band must be off tonight. They have another duo in the ocean plaza.

The piano bar is fairly full.

I headed to the comedy club for Vanessa Hollingshead’s show.

Between comedy shows I decided to head to the deli to stash a sandwich for later before it closes. I wasn’t the only one.

Turkey sandwich.

I stashed that sandwich in the fridge and headed down to the comedy club for Jeff Harris’ show. During the show security came in and pulled two girls out. From what I could overhear it sounds like those girls had a messy room so they’ve kept the Snoozin’ sign on their door the entire cruise. Security was checking on them to make sure they were okay.

After comedy I stopped by the casino bar to catch up on sports.

There’s a little shop of horrors slot machine behind me. Now this guy at the bar keeps singing little shop of horrors.

It’s definitely a party boat. The night club is packed again. Like where you can’t walk in it. That’s two nights in a row. Ocean plaza also packed for what seems to be Latin night.

I’m off to bed. Here is the channel lineup. Tomorrow we’ll be in Bermuda.

 

 

• Carnival Magic
• Magic
• Sea Day