I woke up this morning by chance because my phone battery died overnight and so the alarm wouldn't have worked. Luckily, I somehow decided to check the time about ten minutes before I was supposed to and all was okay.
Having slept in an interior stateroom for the first time in a while, I loved how dark it gets when you turn the lights and virtual balcony off. With just a slight movement of the ship, it was the formula for a great night's sleep.
I got up and went straight to the gym for my flywheel class. This was my first time trying flywheel, and it's essentially just like spin class where you ride a stationary bike. There's a large monitor that tracks the progress of everyone and the instructor guides you through a "course" of hills and sprints.
I gave it my all and finished but I really had to slow down towards the end because I was just exhausted. I finished second-to-last but there's no denying it's a good workout. Upon leaving I thought I'd try it again tomorrow but then I realized each class was $25 and to do this every day would add up quite quickly. I think tomorrow I'll just try something on my own.
After showering and resting a little while, I headed to the SeaPlex for our blog meet up of the day. We had planned to do bumper cars but unfortuantely no bumper cars today so we figure we will try to do it another day.
With the extra time, me and a couple of us from the blog decided to try our luck at the casino. The table games did not open until noon so I tried a few slot machines and quickly lost my money without much to show for it. Alas, I cut my losses sooner than I usually do so I was okay with it.
Slot machiones accept SeaPass cards or WOWbands for player tracking
Some of the folks that are on the group cruise with me decided to meet up for Izumi for lunch. We showed up a little before noon and were able to snag a table for eight. For lunch, there are no reservations, so it's just first come, first served.
As many blog readers know, I absolutely love eating at Izumi and the real question is not if I will eat there but how many times.
The lunch menu at Izumi seemed larger than the lunch menu at Izumi on Navigator of the Seas, which was a pleasant surprise. There is no cover charge for Izumi but you do pay for each item a la carte. Miso soup and edamame are complimentary.
I went with a couple of rolls and some nigiri. All were excellent and I was happy with my choices. I'll have a more formal review of Izumi in the coming weeks.
Following lunch, it was time to try my hand at Ripcord by iFly. This is the sky diving simulator and for guests, you can reserve a complimentary 1-minute flight. Let's just say my flight was 1 minute too long.
When you arrive for your class, you will sign in and accept any waivers that are necessary. After everyone arrives, you watch a short instructional video and then it's time to get suited up.
You cannot wear any jewelry or accessories and your pockets must be empty. In addition, you have to wear shoes that can be laced up.
D'oh!
I volunteered to fly first and all I can say is I discovered I lack any real coordination. I gave it my best and I was doing okay for a little bit but somehow ended flipping over and crashing into the ground. I'm laughing about it now as I write about it but I'm fairly certain that will be the last time I try it. I'd recommend it for anyone that wants to have fun and is more in control of their body than me.
After embarassing myself in the air, I rushed over to the Royal Theater to check out the Broadway musical Mamma Mia!. The show is based on the music of ABBA and I had never seen the show or the movie before.
I found myself really enjoying the show. We arrived very close to show time so we had bad seats in the upper balcony all the way to one side. So be sure to arrive at least 15 minutes early to get a better view than I had.
Despite the seats, the show was great and I really enjoyed it much more than I was expecting. It's a fun show and while I'm not an ABBA fan boy, I did find myself often thinking "Oh, this song is by ABBA too"? And of course, it's hard to deny that tickets to this show on Broadway or even on tour would set me back a couple hundred dollars so it's a great value.
After the show I walked back to my stateroom and overheard a crew member at Bionic Bar saying on Anthem of the Seas, the Bionic Bar would be the same concept but the robots would be an upgraded model that is also smaller than what we have on Quantum of the Seas.
Eating at The Grande tonight, I had to get the formal wear together and so went back to the staterroom to get dressed. Interestingly enough, I saw a sign outside The Grande saying gentlemen had to wear jackets, which is definitely not the rule on formal night on other ships. Heck, not even in most specialty restaurants. I even saw some men walking out and handing back a borrowed jacket to the restaurant.
I had some time to burn between getting ready for dinner and dinner itself so I walked around the ship a little bit, exploring to see what's new and different.
I decided to stop back into Michael's Genuine Pub because suprisingly I had not had any alcohol to drink yet today and because I really like the vibe fo the pub. It's great for people watching, good drinks and a real bar atmosphere.
I went for a stout because I really enjoy Guiness and this was the craft beer closest to it. It was great and even more "Guinessy" than Guiness! I do believe I will be back for more this cruise.
At last, it was time for dinner at The Grande. On my 2-nighter, The Grande stood out as my favorite restaurant so I was excited to get back here. And judging by how crowded the restaurant was, so was everyone else.
We arrived a few minutes before our 7:15 reservation and waited in a short line. We could tell the restaurant was packed and later learned the second night is evidently the go-to night for The Grande.
We waited perhaps 5-10 minutes and then were seated. Walking through the Grande, we saw the place was full.
Looking over the menu, I found more and more selections I wanted to try because everything sounded so good.
Like all restaurants I eat at on this cruise, a more formal review will be coming soon but I really enjoyed my meal here. I loved the atmosphere with everyone dressed up and everything I ordered was a hit. When can I go back?
After dinner I spent some time in the casino (again) and lost (again). Pretty sure I need to limit my expenditures to drinks and not gambling based on my performance this cruise.
In terms of weather, it's warm enoough today to go outside with a t-shirt (but pants are still needed). A few souls were in the main pool but I expect that to change tomorrow. Seas have been calm and it's quite welcome!
Tomorrow it's another sea day (get used to them, there's plenty more where that came from).
Stray Observations
- I finally met my room attendant this morning. Peter from Indonesia!
- Last night I came back to my room and couldn't find the souvenir cup I had gotten from sailaway. Turns out my room attendant threw it away because he thought it was trash! We both laughed about it and he said he could get me another one.
- Thus far, the internet speeds have been great. I've used it across phones and my laptop and been solid. For unlimited use over the week at $109 it's a steal.
- For those keeping score at home, I bought only one drink today. I was too busy doing activities to drink. Tomorrow we're having a bar crawl meet so the universe will be evened out.
- If you want to wait in no line whatsoever for something on Quantum of the Seas, I recommend getting there right when that activity/venue/restaurant opens. Lines build quickly but arrivng just before opening is usually a safe bet.
Here's tomorrow's cruise compass
