Note: This post was originally published on January 4th, 2018
Day 1: Saturday December 23rd
Hello Readers, Travelers, Family, Friends, World!
Happy New Year!
Before I begin my (long-overdue) travel update, I want to apologize for the lack of posts over the past couple of weeks! Unfortunately, blogging on the go is not as simple as you might think, unless you have unlimited data (which I obviously don’t), which means that I had to scrounge around for free wifi while traveling. Needless to say, wifi spots are pretty scarce/ non- existent along white, sandy shell-spotted beaches and in the ocean! Anyway, now that I am back in frigid, -1 degree Michigan, I have been dreaming of my idyllic vacation, so I figured that writing about my cruise would be the perfect way to relive it, in a way… therapeutic, I suppose, before the shock of reality hits me in 4 days!
In short, my holiday cruise vacation was beyond incredible (as you shall soon see). Cruising is an incredibly unique type of vacation. For instance, there is nothing like waking up at dawn to see the sunrise while (literally!) floating in the midst of the ocean. I don’t think the ocean’s magnitude truly hits you until you are there, staring at the deep blueness in awe… it is truly amazing, and words cannot do it complete justice.
In these posts, I hope I can recreate my one-of-a-kind cruise experience for you….
So, sit back, relax, and enjoy being whisked across the seas… to paradise…
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Day 1: Saturday December 23rd 2017
We left Detroit quite early on Friday morning (the previous day): around 7. Driving intermittently the entire day, we finally decided to stay for the night at Valdosta, GA, a city located along the border between GA and FL. The next morning, we drove the remaining 3.5 hours to Hudson, the site of my great aunt and uncles’ winter home.
On Saturday morning, 18+ hours in the car later (with various gas, food and restroom breaks), we finally arrived at my great aunt and uncles’ quaint little two-bedroom ranch near Tampa. As I stepped out of our silver sedan, I stumbled and stretched (being in the cramped car with two bags and a backpack of food to your left takes its toll!) I paused to take it all in: the warmth, the palm trees, the salty ocean breeze…the tranquility… everything… this was Florida. I hadn’t been to the sunshine state for almost ten years (much too long for my taste). I had missed it!
At this point, it was nearly 11, and our cruise check-in was at 1: only had a few hours before our cruise departure, so we hurriedly greeted my great aunt and uncle, as well as my cousin and sister-in-law, who (coincidentally) were also visiting Florida. After a quick bite, indian tea and snacks and the like, we relaxed for a short time before leaving around 12. It would take an hour to reach Tampa from the home. The ride felt quick, and before long, we had arrived at the cruise port.
- The Port:
There were two large ships docked at the Port Tampa Bay Cruise Terminal 6 (Terminal 2 is pictured below so you can visualize it): the Carnival Dream along the right side (as we were walking to the port) and the Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas. Once we had collected all of our baggage, we began navigating the signs to the cruise check-in. After passing through the tunnel to the port, we were greeted by a giant maze. Hoards of families, children, couples and singles were screaming the names of loved ones, getting in line to check-in luggage, and removing watches and jewelery to walk through security. If you have never been on a cruise, be advised that cruise ship security is just like airport security! Thankfully, we did not have any issues during check-in, and we were shortly on board the Brilliance of the Seas!
- On Board:
Once we had boarded the vessel, my brother and I decided to explore for a bit, as it was to be our home for the next four days! Our luggage would not be arriving at our room for a few hours at least, so we were not particularly rushed to enter our rooms. I pocketed my room card (We were in room number 3571, on the third floor), and headed to the fourth floor lobby area, where the guest relations desk was located. Our check-in time was one of the later waves, so a majority of the ~2500 passengers had already boarded the ship by the time we had finally settled aboard. The first thing on our minds was food. Cruise ships are known for one thing univerally: Unlimited Buffets! We had a few options for food before dinner. We shortly learned that our dinner would be at 8:30 PM (the last seating), so we decided it would be nice to grab a snack before walking around. Since it was technically “snack-time”, we could head to the Wind-jammer Cafe which opened around 3 (on the 11th Floor) or the Park Cafe (a slightly smaller cafe on the 12th floor) that was already open. We located the interactive map near the guest relations desk, and made our way to the staircase. (The elevators were jam-packed at this point in the day). When we finally arrived (panting) on the 12th floor, we found our way to Park Cafe to grab a quick bite. My first “meal” on the ship consisted of the following: a granola, yogurt and fruit cup, two holiday sugar cookies, and a lemon bar. After our small snack, I grabbed a chocolate eclair before we departed.
A few highlights I remember from the first couple of hours: the energy on the ship was electric… everyone was in a party mood… although the ship’s official list of activities had not begun yet (there was a detailed agenda of activities available for every following day), everyone shortly began heading toward the 5th floor helicopter pad or the top floor to see the ship depart from Tampa Bay.
As the afternoon sun blazed, I began wondering when the ship was to depart. It was scheduled to leave at 4. I checked my watch and it was already 4:20. I soon heard that the ship was having technical issues, and would be delayed. Although I became queazy at the thought of “technical issues,” I brushed it off, and decided to focus on the stunning shimmering blue bay, instead. I knew that it was a rarity when I would be so near the ocean, and I wanted to take it all in! Time passed quickly, and before long, we were taking photos, and enjoying ourselves. Next, there was a short emergency drill, in which we all had to line up according to our room number and learn the instructions in the case of any emergency at sea. It was quite orderly and well-executed, lasting about half-an-hour.
After the drill, it was almost 5 PM, and the ship had still not departed, so we decided to see whether our luggage had arrived in our rooms. When we arrived to our room, we realized that it was an average-sized room with a queen bed and two pull-down bunks (for my brother and I). A bit crunched on space, we all agreed, but we wouldn’t be in our rooms for long, anyway. It was nearly 5:30 PM by the time we finished setting up our room (our luggage had arrived!) On our way upstairs, I almost thought that we hadn’t departed yet, but I caught the tail-end of a conversation of ladies… “Oh! We left? I didn’t even realize it!” I hurried to the ocean-view elevator (pictured below), and peered out for a moment. It was true! We had set sail! The ship had been sailing so smoothly, that I hadn’t even realized it. Quickly, we pressed the elevator button to head to the 5th floor helicopter pad, namely, the best lookout place on the ship. Below is a short video I got as the ship left the dock. I felt a wave of excitement as the ship sped, leaving the Tampa Bay, making her way into the vast ocean. The sun had set, so the glint of the city lights against the dark star-studded sky made the experience even more special:
A few pictures (so you get an idea of the ship’s magnitude and magnificent sea views):
We hardly wanted to leave the beautiful sight of the dark night sea, but we reluctantly tore ourselves from the view and headed inside. Today, there was a “Welcome” Theater Show at the theater at 7! It was a comedian show that unfortunately became quite inappropriate at certain times. Regardless, we watched for a short time before our dinner.
We decided to dress up and get ready for the formal show, and head to dinner straight afterward. Overall, the show was pretty nice. It was lively and colorful, and the comedian was impressive. I was generally very impressed with the quality of the broadway-style concerts and shows on board over the course of the cruise. The orchestra was just amazing, and the singers were also very talented. The theater troupe was multi-cultural, from countries such as Ukraine, UK, US, and China! Since ours was a holiday cruise, there were many christmas concerts during the first couple of days, and it made the experience on board quite lively. The holiday decor was also gorgeous. See my photos below for a clearer portrait.
- Dinner
Formal sit-down dinners took place at the Minstrel Dining Hall located on the 5th floor. We were lucky that the dinner hall was so close to the theater (on the 4th/5th floors) as well as our state room (on the 3rd floor). On the first night, dinner was particularly delicious (or perhaps we thought so because it was the first day!) It was a four-course meal, including starters (we could order an unlimited amount!), main course, and desserts. Our two waiters, Leone (a handsome middle-aged Chilean native) and Ramchandra (a young Indian man hailing from South India), always took drink orders, as well as brought breadrolls and butter. From the second day onwards, we were also given the option for Indian food, including aloo mutter (potato peas curry), chicken curry, roti/naan, and daal. Taste was average on most days, but still above my expectations. That first night, my meal consisted of: Greek Salad, Tomato Soup, Linguini with Tomato Sauce, and for dessert carrot cake. My mother had creme brulee! I regret not photographing my dinner and starters, but below are my mouthwatering desserts pictured:
Well, that was the first day! More to Come!
Cheers,
Supriya
