Main Dining Room Breakfast on Independence of the SeasWe usually love to order room service for breakfast and have a hot pot of coffee, some pastries, fresh fruit, and yogurt delivered right to our cabin - for free on Royal Caribbean! But we also like to head down to the main dining room at least one day of the cruise. main Dining Room Breakfast Menu | Independence of the SeasLunch on Independence of the SeasAppetizers in the main dining room on Independence of the seasDinner in the Main DIning Room on Independence of the SeasDesserts in the main dining room on Independence of the seasMain Dining Room Wine Menu |
Le Grand Bistro
If you're dreaming of visiting France but find yourself on a Celebrity cruise to the Caribbean, don't worry! The boulangerie-patisserie Le Grand Bistro on Ascent will definitely do in a pinch! ;)
And PS you can find plenty of Celebrity Cruises stopping in France ;D
Le Grand Bistro is located on Deck 4, midship, between its upscale French dining neighbor, Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud and the buzzing Craft Social Bar where you can enjoy beer flights and bar bites.
Whether you sit down to dine at dinner, enjoy a casual lunch, or prefer a demi baguette and a latte at breakfast - Le Grand Bistro has something for you to try!
Le Grand Bistro Menu on Ascent
Le Petit Chef Menu:
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You have a few options if you're interested in dining at Le Grand Bistro.
The interactive dining experience Le Petite Chef can be reserved in the evenings for a fixed price. The Menu on Ascent was as follows:
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Le Grand Bistro Main Menu
On the other hand, if you're craving a morning croissant or an afternoon croque monsieur then the a la carte menu is for you!
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In addition to always-available starters, soups, salads, entrees, sandwiches, charcuterie, and pastries you will find "Plats du Jour" (Dish of the day) If one of these French classic tickles your fancy you will want to time your visit accordingly each special dish is only available on a set day of the week. |
Le Grand Bistro Cocktail, wine, and beverage menu
Le Grand Bistro Dessert Menu
Le Grand Bistro To go Menu
Lunch Experience at Le Grand Bistro on Ascent
The meal started with our choice of bread and butter. In the main dining room you always receive a basket of assorted bread/rolls/etc and admittedly it did feel fancier to have the slices hand delivered at Le Grand Bistro.
French Cocktails - $12 + $17
Steak Frites - $24
Lobster Bisque - $10
Take for example the following food math equation: tomato soup + cream = tomato bisque. Voila!
The perfect companion for soup is a salad, right? We did, but didn't, end up with 2 salads. You will understand by the end.
Baby Arugula Salad - $8
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Big fan of arugula over here as well as the beauty of simple ingredients that are well prepared making the best of bites!
This baby arugula salad had toasted pine nuts, balsamic vinaigrette and 3 deep fried balls of goat cheese more elegantly known as croquettes. After procuring this glamour shot we got to wondering where the pork belly was... and the poached egg? |
Wait.. Was this even the salad we ordered. Oops. No it wasn't. Quickly the correct salad arrived.
Frisée Lardon Salad - $8
Crème Brûlée - $5
Creme Brûlée is a quintessential French dessert much loved by cruise passengers. You may never order it out back home, but on a cruise you can usually indulge in several of these during your voyage.
To complete the experiment we ordered creme brûlée at dinner in the main dining room that night and we can confirm that YES, it is different! When you are paying extra you want to know you are getting a different product, a better quality, an advanced technique, a personal touch..
Chocolate Chip Cookie - $3
When I ordered a $3 chocolate chip cookie I was envisioning a large bakery style cookie. I didn't expect it to be the cookie of my dreams, but I also didn't expect it to be this little fluffy nugget. lol
I was teetering on whether to order it or not but overhead a lady at the table next to me tell the waiter that they are the best chocolate chip cookies she has ever had and that she had been coming down to order one every day! That locked me in.
The fact that I didn't care for it just goes to show how everyone's tastes are different. There is no right or wrong when it comes to food, it's all preference. So take posts like this with a grain of salt. Read them through the lens of the preferences you know you have already.
If you know you love cake-like cookies then go for this chocolate chip cookie! If you're not a fan of cake-y cookies then skip it (unless you just want to see for yourself which is also cool) and try a more French-y option like a Madeleine or a cherry danish!
Mocha - $5
Le Grand Bistro Ambience
I was surprised that during our visit there was no French music playing in the bistro. I would have really enjoyed that as well as having some of the shoji doors closed to block out the distracting lights and activity of the plaza and turn up the French charm. ;)
LE Grand Bistro Review on Celebrity Ascent
Everything we ate at Le Grand Bistro was good, with the exception of the chocolate chip cookie that I found underwhelming based on my chocolate-chip-cookie-girl high standards.
We had steaks in the main dining room that rivaled the Steak Frites in Le Grand Bistro which is testimony to how good the food on Celebrity is. On the other hand, the salads and the lobster bisque were unique items we didn't see elsewhere during our cruise.
The Frisee Lardon Salad was excellent and unique. I would order that again next time I dine at Le Grand Bistro.
More Celebrity Ascent Reviews:
The baby arugula salad was taken away when we noted that we had been given the wrong salad and that was a bummer as we didn't get to try it to share our thoughts with you. I'm sure the waiter would have left it if we asked, but it happened so quickly that he shuttled it away in an effort to please us and bring the lardon salad asap.
The Lobster Bisque was very tasty. The puff pastry top and fancy bowl are always fun. I just wish there was a touch more bisque and that the lobster meat was more prominent.
If you dine at Le Grand Bistro on your next Celebrity Cruise, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks to Celebrity for hosting this meal. All opinions are my own.
Ready to Book your next celebrity cruise?
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About this cruise:
On this 7 night Labadee & Cayman Cruise on Celebrity Ascent we sailed in an Infinite Veranda cabin. We visited the ports of Nassau, Perfect Day at Coco Cay, and Grand Cayman. Stops at Labadee were paused during this time period and exchanged for a Perfect Day visit.
Being a repeat cruiser on Celebrity Cruises brings you some added benefits and perks as part of their Captains Club loyalty program.
Free Scoop of Gelato
Celebrity makes their gelato fresh daily and once you have sailed with the line one time, you can enjoy the free scoop of premium gelato perk from your second cruise on!
Filed Under: Client Travel Photos • Real Traveler Experiences
Simply go to the counter, request the most delicious flavor available, and when you scan your Sea Pass the premium gelato will ring up as $0, as the perk has been loaded on to your card. Yay!
Is there free ice cream and gelato on board?
This free scoop of gelato captain's club perk is for the premium offerings that are normally an extra charge, for instance at Cafe Al Bacio & Gelateria.
Celebrity Cruise Review
Filed Under: Client Travel Photos • Real Traveler Experiences
Chocolate Fountain on Celebrity Apex
Colorful fruit displays, fluffy marshmallows, and moist cakes - all ready to be skewered and covered in chocolate at your request!
Shrimp Cocktail w/ marie Rose Sauce
A Magnificent Shrimp Tower!
Celebrity Cruise Reviews:
- More from this Celebrity Apex Cruise:
Fish & Ships Review | Independence of the Seas
Fish & Ships on Royal Caribbean is a complimentary dining option offering, well.. you guessed it fish and chips!
Is Fish & Ships open on Embarkation Day?
Yes. Fish & Ships was open on embarkation day during our 4-night cruise and I recommend grabbing a bite here on day one if you want to avoid a busy windjammer buffet.
Fish & Ships Menu | Independence of the Seas
In the past, Fish & Ships was a paid casual dining option, but for the last few years it has been free, aside from an up-charge for a Fried Lobster Tail basket & chips (fries) at $12.
I'd like to try the fried lobster tail basket next time and let you know if it's worth the splurge ;)
What's on the menu at Fish & Ships?
For free, you can enjoy:
- Fish & Chips with tartar sauce
- Chicken Fingers & Chips with honey mustard
- Fried Shrimp & Chips with cocktail sauce
- Crispy Fish Sandwich - lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce
Fish & Ships Independence of the Seas Food Pics
We started with one order of fish & chips and chicken fingers without fries (gotta pace yourself on a cruise lol).
Chicken Fingers (no chips)
We requested no chips with the chicken fingers. There is a classic, thick batter on these chicken fingers.
Fish & Chips
The British style fish and chips comes with thick cut chips (french fries) and battered white fish.
The batter was light and delightfully crunchy after being freshly deep fried - this could be dangerous!
Please note: I saw a review online indicating that the fish is battered in chicken finger batter, which is clearly not British style fish, and I think that must have been an anomaly as we did not experience that at all during our cruise.
Please try Fish & Ships for yourself, the batter is delicious! :)
Royal Caribbean Fish & Ships Review Independence of the Seas - Is it Worth It?
No, but seriously, Fish & Ships is one of my favorite complimentary dining locations on Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
Of the chicken fingers, fish, and fried shrimp the fried fish is easily our favorite and the best thing on the Fish & Ships menu, in our opinion.
Fried shrimp take second place, followed by chicken fingers, but I bet all the kiddies love those unlimited chicken fingers and while they do, the parents can enjoy something a bit more "grown up" with the fish and shrimp!
Which Royal Caribbean Ships have Fish & Ships?
Fish & Ships is included in your cruise fare and is located on the pool deck of Independence of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas.
I wish more ships had this casual dining option!
No need to stop the poolside fun when you're hungry, just send a delegate over to Fish & Ships and have a taste of the UK on your cruise! ;)
MORE FROM THIS 4 NIGHT CRUISE ON INDEPENDENCE OF THE SEAS:
- Everything We Ate on a 4-Night Royal Caribbean Cruise
- Connecting Balcony Photo Tour and Review | Independence of the Seas Cabin
- Entertainment & Activities on Independence of the Seas
- Perfect Day at CocoCay Review
For Fish And Chips Lovers:
Royal Caribbean Blog:
Embarkation Day on Celebrity Ascent | Celebrity Cruise Blog
There's a special thrill when you pull into the port and see your cruise ship in person on embarkation day.
This 7 Night Western Caribbean Cruise on Celebrity Ascent departed from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
In This Post:
Checking in at Port Everglades | Celebrity cruise Review Blog
We had already checked in for our cruise on the Celebrity App, but as you can imagine from this picture, checking in is an efficient process in this elegant cruise port terminal.
We were dropped off outside at 1pm, took the following pic at 1:04pm and were inside our room by 1:18pm!
When can you check in for a Celebrity Cruise?
You can check in for your Celebrity Cruise 45 days before embarkation using the Celebrity Cruises app or website.
Infinite Veranda | Celebrity Ascent Review
We spent the week in an infinite veranda stateroom 8280. This is a balcony cabin on Celebrity Ascent.
Lunch at Oceanview Cafe | Celebrity Ascent Review
I know cruise lines are trying to steer away from using the word buffet because of the negative connotation, but if you're wondering about the buffet on Celebrity Ascent called Oceanview Cafe, it's exceptional!
This asian stir-fry with chicken, beef, and mixed vegetables was a great start to the cruise!
See Also: Oceanview Cafe Review | Celebrity Ascent Buffet Food Review
SAIL AWAY from Port Everglades | Celebrity Cruise Blog
One of the best things about having a balcony on a cruise is being able to enjoy sailing away from each port.
We were treated to a lovely sunset and dramatic cloud formations as we sailed out of Fort Lauderdale cruise port.
A pastel Fort Lauderdale skyline bid us farewell and it was time to enjoy our first dinner in the Cosmopolitan Restaurant main dining room.
Cosmopolitan Restaurant Menu | Celebrity Ascent Review
There are 4 main dining rooms - Cosmopolitan, Tuscan, Cyprus and Normandie.
Each dining room has Exclusive Starters and Entrees as seen on the bottom left as well as featured cocktails. These stay the same every night.
On the right side of the menu are the Starters and Entrees that are the same in all of the restaurants, but change every night.
The Celebrity Classics are always available to you.
Cosmopolitan Main Dining Room | Celebrity Cruise Blog
Each of the 4 main dining rooms has their own style of decor and you will always be presented with a basket of freshly baked bread, rolls, and breadsticks along with a trio of butter and spreads for the bread.
There is always a whipped butter, but to keep things exciting each night you will have different spreads like roasted red pepper or garlic to try.
Your sommelier will come to your table for any wine or cocktail orders.
Cauliflower Flan | Celebrity Cruise Food Pics
This unique starter is available from the Cosmopolitan Exclusives menu on Celebrity Ascent. It was a feast for the eyes and really a delightful journey tasting my way through this work of art.
Asian Consommé | CELEBRITY CRUISE FOOD PICS
Chicken, Mushrooms, Ginger
A light and flavorful consommé!
Classic "Caesar" Salad | CELEBRITY CRUISE FOOD PICS
Hearts of Romaine, Garlic Croutons, Parmesan Cheese
I normally love a Caesar salad on a cruise, but found this one a bit heavy on the dressing though others in our party felt it was just right. :)
Pan Seared Aged Sirloin Steak | CELEBRITY CRUISE FOOD PICS
Roasted Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables, Herb Compound Butter
Starting a cruise off with a steak dinner is never a bad move, is it?! =)
GrilLed New York Sirloin Steak | CELEBRITY CRUISE FOOD PICS
Beurre Maitre d'Hotel: Mashed Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables
This New York Sirloin Steak is available on the Celebrity Classics Menu every night.
COSMOPOLITAN Dessert MENU | CELEBRITY ASCENT REVIEW
Celebrity brings your dessert menu separately after your meal much like a traditional restaurant, whereas you'll remember from previous Royal Caribbean Blogs that they have one menu including desserts.
Carrot Cake Cosmopolitan | CELEBRITY Ascent FOOD PICS
The Carrot Cake is a Cosmopolitan Exclusive dessert on Celebrity Ascent.
The carrot cake was beautifully presented and delicious. I would love to recreate this carrot cake for Inspired by Travel.
More from this Celebrity Cruise Review Blog:
- Infinite Veranda Review with Pictures
- Le Grand Bistro Specialty Dining Review
- Raw on 5 Menu with Prices
- Day 1 - Embarkation Day on Celebrity Ascent - you are here!
- Day 2 - One Day in Nassau on a Cruise
- Day 3 - Captains Club Welcome Toast on a Sea Day
- Day 4 - Sea Day on a Celebrity Cruise
- Day 5 - Falmouth Jamaica Cruise Port
- Day 6 - Georgetown Grand Cayman Cruise Port
- Day 7 - Sea Day on Celebrity Ascent
Royal Caribbean Review Blog - Last Day Of The Cruise
In This Post:
Brunch In the Main Dining Room
After sleeping in, we decided to take advantage of our last chance to eat brunch in the main dining room on Symphony of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean Brunch Menu
The main dining room Brunch Menu had a nice variety of breakfast-y choices and lunch-y choices, besides desserts - this is a cruise after all!
Here's what we went for:
Baked Potato Soup
Rich and creamy, served with cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream and fresh chives.
Fried Chicken & Waffles
Tender chicken fried golden brown, warm homemade waffles and a side of Tabasco®. infused honey.
Gotta love hot honey! :D
Eggs Your Way
Two (or one if you only want one!) farm fresh eggs served any style with (very!) crispy bacon, sausage links (skipped), hash browns and white or wheat toast.
NY Bagel and Lox
A plate of smoked Atlantic salmon, sliced cucumber, pickled onions, arugula and cream cheese served with your choice of plain or everything bagel.
Key Lime Pie
Tangy key lime custard in a brown butter graham cracker crust.
Not even a huge key lime pie fan in general, but this made up for the bagel miss. :)
Royal Chocolate cake
Layers of dark chocolate cake and decadent chocolate.
After Brunch we strolled around the ship some more to see what details we could learn for you to help you on your next Royal Caribbean cruise!
Macallan Tasting
On the Royal Caribbean app there was a Macallan Tasting at 1pm in Vintages. This is a paid activity and you can see the set up at this special table.
Hot Sauce at El Loco Fresh
We carried on to El Loco Fresh to capture a shot of some of the hot sauces they have as mentioned here.
Then we proceeded to the pool deck for some final runs down the water slides and on the flow rider.
Cruise Ship Laundry
We propped the shower door open with the trash can and left the bathroom door open. This allowed more airflow to the clothes as they dried on the line.
Next thing we knew it was time for our final dinner of this Southern Caribbean Cruise Review!
Royal Caribbean Bon Voyage Menu
Here's what we ordered!
Seafood Cake
Panko breaded and deep-fried until golden brown, served with mango-carrot slaw and a spicy garlic.
Mediterranean Tapas Medley
A spread of hummus, chilled tzatziki, classic Greek salad and soft pita bread.
Vegetable Greek Moussaka
Layers of grilled eggplant, Roma tomatoes and tender potatoes and onions, topped with panko breadcrumbs and served with oregano-tomato salsa.
Grilled Steak with Chimichurri
Marinated strip steak prepared to order with chimichurri, garlic potato wedges and tender roasted vegetables.
Black Forest Tart
Vanilla tart shell wth rich dark chocolate ganache and cherry filling, topped with raspberry whipped cream, lemon zest and a maraschino cherry.
Crema Catalana
Smooth and rich Spanish-style custard finished with a crackly caramelized sugar topping.
Huge shoutout to our incredible dining team - Wiryawan and Bayu - who took care of our group all 8 nights of this Southern Caribbean Cruise!
On Air Karaoke
Karaoke was buzzing on the last day of the cruise in On Air in the Royal Promenade. I've never done karaoke on a cruise ship myself, but it's great fun to watch others have a blast with it.
The Night Before Disembarkation
The sad moment has arrived when we start to see all the suitcases lining up in the hallways. If you would like luggage assistance you need to pack your bags the night before and place them in the hallway.
You can then pick them up after you disembark.
In our case, we prefer to keep our luggage with us so we don't have to rush off the ship in the morning. We only have carry-on bags anyways, so it's not too burdensome.
After packing up our bags we ran up to Sorrento's Pizza one last time.
Royal Caribbean Sorrento's Pizza Menu
Royal Caribbean Disembarkation Tips:
Needless-to-say, I appreciate the bottom right corner outlining the locations and hours food will be available on disembarkation day. :p
Royal Caribbean Disembarkation Times
On this particular cruise the scheduled departure times were between 7:15am and 9:45am. They often call all luggage tag numbers before the listed time of 9:45.
If you are "Self-assist" meaning you have your own luggage, you can depart at any time. You do not have to depart at 7:15am.
As we usually don't have a flight scheduled until later in the day we take our time, try to enjoy some breakfast, and make our way off the ship toward the end. :)
Windjammer on Disembarkation Day
If you can't make it to the main dining room on the day of departure, you can always head to the Windjammer, Park Cafe, or Solarium Bistro for "regular" guests (meaning non-suites).
A few more helpful details
As we did a final pass through the room we thought we would share a few documents in the cabin that could be helpful to you.
Royal Caribbean Show Summary
On embarkation day we received a printout which described the main scheduled entertainment shows onboard during our cruise. On the reverse side it outlined the days and time each would be showing.
I found this very helpful as you can decide if it's something you are interested in or not and plot out when you want to reserve tickets.
Remember, all the shows are free, but you do need to reserve a space in advance to ensure you'll have a seat!
You can see all this information on the Royal Caribbean App too, which is great, but something about having it consolidated to one piece of paper and seeing it all at one time was very appealing to me. :)
Royal Caribbean Laundry PRices
Prices range from $1.99 to $14.99 per item, but you can usually also send an entire bag for around $35 before discounts so check for that option in a pinch if you have a lot to send in as it may be a savings.
Royal Caribbean Room Service Menus
If you order Lunch and Dinner, you'll pay the charge twice. If you order once a day every day for a 7 night cruise you'll pay it seven times.
Lunch, Dinner, Snacks Room Service Menu
Breakfast Room service Menu
If you want hot cooked eggs under the American Breakfast Category then the $7.95 + gratuity service fee mentioned above still applies.
Continental Breakfast Door Hang Tags
There is a strange amount of enjoyment that comes from filling out your order on these breakfast menus and hanging them on your stateroom door at night.
Feel free to write a little note of appreciation on here too. :)
You can select your preferred delivery time but please know it's hard from them to deliver exactly within that window some days so it could come earlier or later.
I'll really miss having coffee, juice, fruit, and pastries delivered to my door in the morning.
Until next time, Royal Caribbean!
Up next: Gallery One Double Tree By Hilton Fort Lauderdale Hotel RevieW W/ Photos
More Royal Caribbean Blogs:
- Lobster Night On a Cruise
- One Day in Aruba Cruise Port: DIY Walking Tour Aruba Cruise Port
- Aruba: A Taste of the Caribbean Dinner
- Embarkation Day: Symphony of the Seas Embarkation Day
- Sea Day: Exploring the Ship on a Sea Day
- Sea Day: A Taste of Italy Dinner
- Curacao: Missing Curação Cruise Port
- Breakfast at Johnny Rockets - Free on Oasis Class Ships
- Symphony of the Seas: Water Slides & Flow Rider
- El Loco Fresh Review - Mexican Inspired Food
- The Royal Night - Royal Caribbean Dinner Menu
When you get off the ship in Labadee you have a great photo opportunity, if you're patient, with the Labadee sign and the ship in the background.
In This Post:
- One Day in Labadee Cruise Port
- Exploring Labadee
- Walking Trails on Labadee
- Souvenirs on Labadee
- Labadee Beach Bar Menu
- A Taste of UK Royal Caribbean Dinner Menu
- Hairspray Broadway Production
- Labadee, Haiti Royal Caribbean Cruise Port Review
While there are paid activities at Labadee including Kayak Adventure, Sip and Paint, Walking Tour, Aqua Park, Coaser, Flight Zip Line, there is also plenty to do for free, just follow the signs!
If you don't feel like walking around the island, you can catch a free tram and hop off at your beach or food establishment of choice.
There is a special Barefoot Beach Tram Service exclusively for Star, Sky, Pinnacle, and Concierge Suites guests. Guests who have reserved a Barefoot Beach Club Cabana can utilize this particular tram service.
If you decide to wander by foot you will find classic vacation photo ops for your friends and family like this giant Labadee chair. :)
Trails on Labadee, Haiti
There are some nice paths to walk around the lush greenery of the island that lead to some 'secret' look out points where you can take in some nice views and get some nice pictures of your crew.
You can get a view of the Aqua Park (paid activity) from this lookout as well.
Souvenir Shopping on Labadee
For the uninitiated, on Labadee you have the opportunity to venture into this Market section with local vendors. Many cruisers find the selling culture to be a bit aggressive and you should be prepared to haggle if you want to shop in this area.
Some love this type of shopping and interaction, but if it's not for you there are other options.
Cost of Souvenirs on Labadee
Larimar Necklaces were listed at $35 and carved Limestone animals were plentiful. The elephant was $15.
Labadee Beach Bar Menu
Cocktail Prices |
Beer prices |
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An additional service charge will be added to these prices unless you have a Royal Caribbean Beverage Package.
You can also order items not on the menu, of course. Like the Labadoozie - basically a frozen rum punch or even a whisky to sip on the beach.
Beach Time on LAbadee
Even on an overcast day, the views are beautiful with calm waters nestled between lush mountains, it's exactly what you're hoping for on a Caribbean Cruise.
If you have cash to splash you can rent one of these private cabanas for the day or do an excursion like kayaking in these tropical waters.
Free Food On Labadee
When you're hungry on Labadee you can enjoy a beach picnic including things like hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled chicken, rice, corn on the cob, fruit, salads, cookies, cakes and the like. The food is included in your cruise fare.
A Taste of UK Royal Caribbean Menu
Goat Cheese Tart
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
Mozzarella cheese coated with crispy garlic-seasoned panko breading and fried until golden brown, paired with a zesty marinara dipping sauce.
Due to a supply chain issue, the culinary crew had to make a cheese swap out. So it was surprising when you're expecting mozzarella, but hey - when you're talking about breaded and deep fried cheese it's hard to go wrong. :)
Traditional English Fish and CHips
Chicken Tikka Masala
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Hairspray Broadway Production
After dinner we squeezed in a production show. On Symphony of the Seas you can watch the Broadway production Hairspray. It's one of the longer shows you will see on a cruise.
Labadee, Haiti Royal Caribbean Review
I love Royal Caribbean's offerings of Labadee and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Some argue that these cruise line owned resorts or islands are not an authentic experience of the island, and sure I get that. But I view them as a high value "freebie" day where I don't have to plan or spend any extra cash if I don't want to or don't have it.
Labadee offers a low pressure day where everything is taken care of for you and close by. You have beach chairs and umbrellas included for free at the various beach locations. You have food included without having to go back to the ship or spend extra cash. You have tram service if you're unable or don't want to walk as much. And the scenery is absolutely beautiful.
While I do love exploring cruise ports and trying local food and having that "more authentic" experience, I am always happy to see either Labadee or Perfect Day on a Caribbean Itinerary.
More from this Royal Caribbean Cruise Review:
- Lobster Night On a Cruise
- Aruba: DIY Walking Tour Aruba Cruise Port
- Aruba: A Taste of the Caribbean Dinner
- Embarkation Day: Symphony of the Seas Embarkation Day
- Sea Day: Exploring the Ship on a Sea Day
- Sea Day: A Taste of Italy Dinner
- Curacao: Missing Curação Cruise Port
- Breakfast at Johnny Rockets - Free on Oasis Class Ships
- Symphony of the Seas: Water Slides & Flow Rider
- El Loco Fresh Review - Mexican Inspired Food
- The Royal Night - Royal Caribbean Dinner Menu
Breakfast at Johnny Rockets
Johnny Rockets is a fun old fashioned American Diner styled specialty restaurant on Royal Caribbean cruise ships, but not many people realize that on Oasis Class Ships you can eat breakfast for free at Johnny Rockets!
Coffee and Orange Juice
They really lean into the old school diner vibes with the plastic coffee mugs and the huge glasses of 'orange juice'. I recommend sharing a glass if you order it as it's just a LOT of juice. :)
Eggs "My Way"
Served with potatoes, applewood smoked bacon or sausage and sourdough toast.
buttermilk Pancakes
"The Works" Breakfast Scrambler
Condiments
Breakfast and a Show
We were delighted by the show the Johnny Rockets crew put on during our breakfast! Nothing like a surprise break out into song and dance!
Afternoon Water Slides and Flow Rider
The final sea day on a cruise is a last call to cram in all the fun ship activities you haven't done yet, or haven't done enough because it was so fun. So for us we needed to do some serious waterslide time and some flow rider time.
Racing Water Slides
And on the right you can see the green/yellow "toilet bowl" water slide.
The toilet bowl slide
The toilet bowl slide, as it's affectionally called, drops you into a bowl before you finish the slide and depending on your speed you may loop around the bowl multiple times quickly before finishing the ride.
And as you can see in these pictures, there is actually a "see-through" section on some of the slides so if you keep an eye out you can catch a glimpse of your loved ones as they shoot down the water slides!
Above you can see the splashes are pretty great whether you shoot down the yellow/blue slides or the toilet bowl slide.
Which would you try?!
Rainbow on a Cruise SHip
El Loco Fresh Mexican Lunch
You can grab a quesadilla or premade burrito or you can DIY you own plate with an assortment of rice, meat, beans, taco shells, tortilla chips and so on.
There is also a bar with lovely fresh toppings including various salsas, pico de Gallo, delicious guacamole, and a huge display of hot sauces.
There is also a section with little desserts like this chocolate cake topped with caramel topped with chocolate mouse that I think would be a great dessert to make for a party in individual cups. A future recreated recipe for Inspired By Travel for sure.
And they always have plastic cups filled with cut up fruit - watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe. This is one of my favorite features of El Loco Fresh.
Pro Tip: I would often grab a cup of fruit and bring it to the fridge of my stateroom and when I wanted a healthy fresh snack I didn't have to go anywhere! :)
The Royal Night Dinner
The Royal Night Menu
Avocado and Melon Salad
Sweet cantaloupe, ripe avocados, orange segments and figs in a maple-lime dressing, topped with toasted pine nuts.
Vidalia Onion Tart
Sweet onion tart baked with smoked bacon and Parmesan cheese, served with sautéed bell peppers and creamed leeks.
Maine Lobster Tail
Baked Alaska
Layered Neapolitan ice cream wrapped in sponge cake and torched meringue.
Red Velvet Cake
Fluffy layered cocoa-infused cake with sweet cream cheese frosting and a drizzle of chocolate.
After Dinner Drinks at Vintages
We went to Vintages in Central Park where they have a great collection of scotches to try including Travelers Editions you can only buy or taste on a Royal Caribbean Cruise.
And what better way is there to end an evening in a park, on a cruise ship, sipping Macallan and playing chess at this adorable mosaic table?
More from this Southern Caribbean Cruise Review:
I'm looking at you, pork chop. -.-
I opted to sleep it off and we decided not to get off on Curacao during this cruise. Fortunately, we had been here before in the past, but it was still really disappointing, needless-to-say.
Eventually we made it up to the Windjammer buffet for lunch and I snapped this pic of Willemstad through the glass.
Shockingly, the only food item we took a picture of was this tasty little mini pastry filled with chocolate!
We then took the opportunity to enjoy some of the features of the ship we hadn't yet. We rode the carousel together in the Boardwalk Neighborhood.
And I screamed more than I needed to going down the Ultimate Abyss slide.
I came out the other end laughing and I would do it again, for sure. Do it people!
Never in my life have I tried rock climbing and I'm not sure how I would do, but I really wanted to try climbing this rock wall on a cruise ship!
That's still on my to-do list. I wasn't quite up for it yet. :)
But I was up for exploring the staircase art before dinner!
A Taste of Mexico Menu | Royal Caribbean
Tbh, I spend way too much time every day on the app checking the menus and plotting out my orders. lol
Here's what we got!
Roasted Poblano Pepper Soup
"Rich and silky, topped with roasted corn, red peppers, fresh cilantro, and sautéed chorizo."
Tortilla Soup
"Tomato broth with hearty black beans and sweet corn, topped with cilantro, crunchy corn tortillas, and fresh lime"
Grilled Sweet Corn Cakes
"Served golden brown with grilled vegetables, tomato-avocado salsa, and fresh cilantro."
Carne Asada
"Marinated grilled flank steak served with rice, pinto beans, sautéed vegetables and a bright salsa verde"
Chili-Lime Crusted Salmon
"Baked and served over a sweet potato, mushroom, and kale hash topped with tangy mango and bell pepper salsa"
Caramel Flan
"rich, sweet dulce de leche custard soaked in caramel with fresh strawberries"
Sorrentos Pizza Menu
So we headed over to Sorrento's Pizza in the Royal Promenade.
The menu can vary from day to day and I do believe you can always request a gluten free pizza at Sorrento's on Royal Caribbean. 8)
Primavera Pizza froM Sorrento's
"Extra virgin olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, spinach, tomatoes, grilled banana peppers, roasted red peppers, and feta cheese"
Not bad, Royal Caribbean, not bad.
With that it was time for a little in-room laundry session and to bed to rest up for a fun filled sea day onboard Symphony of the Seas!
More From This Southern Caribbean Cruise:
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