Day Three of My Fam Trip 

We docked at Royal Caribbean's private island - Labadee, Haiti, early this morning. Labadee has lots of beautiful beaches as well as activities like ziplines, jet skis, snorkeling, coastal cruises, etc. My plan was to sleep in and then walk over to the island around noon and enjoy the beach barbeque.

My sleep was disturbed at 9 a.m. by a "Bravo, Bravo, Bravo" announcement over the ship's public address system. I know this is code for a fire on the ship. Before I could jump up and get dressed to leave the cabin, it dawned on me that it probably was just part of the weekly crew fire drill. The drill is usually preceeded by announcements from the bridge that "This is only a drill" and then there are seven loud blasts followed by one short blast. That announcement came a few minutes after the Bravo, Bravo, Bravo, so I'm sure some of the passengers were duped into thinking there was a real emergency on the ship. NOTE: The drill will take place at approximately 9am next week when we are in Nassau.

Shortly before noon, I was again awakened by the captain announcing that the gangway would be closed in 15 minutes in order to enable a helicopter to land on the ship's heliport to transport someone who had been injured on the island. I guess it wasn't meant for me to go to the island today.

I wish you were here. I'm needing my poker fix! Since there is no poker to play, I spent the afternoon answering emails and didn't leave the cabin until 5 p.m. I ate dinner in the dining room tonight, then went to two concerts. The first was Broadway tunes and the second featured songs from the 70s. There is a lot of talent on Royal Caribbean!

In the first blog, I recommended that you enroll in the Crown and Anchor Society, which is Royal Caribbean's frequent cruiser cabin. There are many levels you can achieve: gold, emerald, platinum, diamond, diamond plus, and pinnacle. I have good news for the many diamond members in our group: The awesome lounge that was previously only for diamond plus, pinnacle, and suite passengers is now open for diamond members too. They have enlarged the lounge to combine the extra diamond members, but in doing so, they eliminated the Chef's Table restaurant which I know was a favorite for many of our cruisers.

Here are some Oasis of the Seas cruise tips for today:
1. If you are hungry for a snack on the ship, the Promenade Cafe is open 24/7 serving sandwiches and desserts. Sorrento's is open until 3:30 a.m serving pizza. Both are free.
2. Many people don't realize that you can order a personal pizza from Sorrento's with toppings you like. There are also pre-made pizzas with a variety of toppings that are available.
3. Carry your cell phone with you, but put it on airplane mode. There are lots of photo ops around the ship.
4. If you aren't sure which direction the front of the ship is, look at any stateroom door. There is a very small arrow on the cabin number placard that always points to the front of the ship.
5. If you are interested in knowing how busy any of the specialty restaurants are, there is a button you can push next to the elevators that will tell you what percent occupied they are.
6. If you get lost on the ship, go to the elevators - there is a locator that will provide directions to get you to your destination.
7. If you like authentic, fresh guacamole, go to Sabor restaurant on the Boardwalk and they will make it for you tableside for a $4 charge. They also have very reasonably priced Mexican food. The cover charge has been eliminated and everything is a la carte.
8. You can do many things from the convenience of the television in your cabin like book spa appointments, make dining reservations, book excursions, etc... no need to wait in line.
9. Many passengers aren't aware that breakfast is served in the Park Cafe (great bagel bar and egg sandwiches), Johnny Rockets, the Solarium (healthy choices), and the Wipe Out Cafe (eggs and omelets cooked to order) in addition to the buffet and the dining rooms. All venues are free.
10. Super satellites and one-table satellites will be offered the first two days of the cruise to help you win your way into the $1,100 Heartland Poker Tour main event.

Hope you enjoyed part three of my blog, Tomorrow we will be in Jamaica!
Linda Johnson