Royalton Chic Cancun

Good Morning from the Royalton Chic!!  Waking up to the view and sounds of the ocean is pretty great. Yesterday we checked into the hotel about 3PM and our room was ready.  After a brief rest period, we decided to check out the pool. 

The pool bar closed at 6PM so that was the sign it was time to get ready for dinner. We had reservations at 8PM at Vespa, the Italian restaurant.  We spent some time in the lobby listening to a saxophone player until it was time for our dinner. 

They had a huge menu!!  We elected to get the Polpette (meatballs), Insalata Caprese, Bruschetta and  Insalata Arrosto (mushroom salad).   All were decent. The Polpette was my favorite.  Could have used more pesto on the Caprese.   We each got a pasta dish. I went with the lasagna and Angie got the Penne Salsiccia Funghi.  The lasagna was my favorite.  It could have used a better bechamel and more cheese.  The penne had some good flavor, but was lacking enough "kick" in the tomato sauce. It was a very generic marinara.  My favorite dish of the night was the Berenjena Parmigiana (eggplant). 

 I was expecting thicker slices of eggplant since that is usually how this dish is prepared.  Instead there were thinly sliced ribbons of eggplant that had been lightly breaded and fried. Served with a healthy amount of cheese and sauce.  I don't know how they got the eggplant so thin. Maybe a mandoline?   This may require some research.  Neither of us had dessert.  We had an early start on Tuesday, so we headed back to the room.  

Yesterday after a nice breakfast at the buffet, our transportation arrived to take us on four site inspections. We visited a Hilton.Mar Carlbe, Wyndham Altra, Dreams Sand and the Catalonia Grand Costa Mujeres. I loved both the Hilton and the Catalonia. The Catalonia had a really interesting "Fifth Avenue" concept with a centrally located "street" that had most of the restaurant and shops. So many options for lunch including Peruvian food! I liked the Hilton a bit better for the ocean views.  

We returned to the resort about 4:30 and put on our bathing costumes. We were going to check out Level 18 which is the rooftop pool deck. They were having a Foam Toga Party. This area serves as a combination night club/pool party zone.

 It is open to the public (for a charge) and to all guests of the hotel. The difference is that alcoholic drinks you order here aren't part of the all inclusive concept. Unless you are a Diamond Club member which is a special room category.  

When we arrived the foam and togas must have already left since it was pretty quiet. A couple of forty year old men with mullets were twerking. And that's as exciting as it got. We relaxed on some comfortable lounges until 5:20 when it was time for our hydrotherapy appointment in the spa. That was a great experience. A member of the spa staff will take you on a "circuit" of different water and hear therapies. I started with the sauna for ten minutes. Then it was supposed to be the steam room but unfortunately it wasn't working. Then it was off to a cold steam shower. Followed by a hot shower. Followed by the ice bucket challenge!! Then into an area with three separate tubs. One was a warm bubbling hot tub. The other was a cold plunge - probably 6° Celsius. The last was a larger hot tub with a few water massage stations. After five or ten minutes in the hot tub, I'd then take a polar plunge. Very refreshing!!

After about an hour we headed back to the cabin to get ready for dinner. Angie finished up some work and I got a snack of chicken wings at the Sports Bar. She met me there when it was time for dinner at 8PM. Tonight was Asian at Chopsticks. They have all small plates so you can try many things. We had short rib pot stickers, crab dumplings, chicken satay, mussels in green curry, a delicious ramen and sea bass. All so tasty!! 

 We were tired after our long day so we headed back to the room. 

Yesterday was our last full day at Royalton Chic. While Angie worked I went to Hacienda for an a.la carte breakfast. They had a beautifully prepared breakfast bowl with fruits, yogurt and seeds. So tasty!! After breakfast I assumed my spot in a comfortable lounger. It was very windy so I didn't venture into the pool. Angie joined me for lunch where we each had very good burgers with caramelized onion. Angie went back to work and I went back to my lounger. I was still a little hungry so I ordered a spicy salami pizza. It was very tasty with large chunks of the capicola. The menu item should have had at least one chili pepper next to it so you knew the spice level!!  

Angie joined me back at the pool at 3:30 and we decided to venture into the water. It wasn't too bad once you got in. About 5 PM we headed back to the room to get ready for the evening. Tonight we had a special dinner at Level 18, the same place we were yesterday for the Foam (or was it Faux) Toga Party. The dinner was only for Diamond Club guests. 

There were four tables of ten guests each. Before dinner, there was a dance performance from some of the resorts entertainment staff. 

 Dinner started with a watermelon salad. The thick slice has been slightly dehydrated to enhance the sweetness. The second course was called a shrimp cream. This was more like a rich smoked tomato soup. Very tasty but I didn't get any shrimp flavor. For the main course, we had lamb ossobuco. This had some great flavors of cinnamon and other spices. It was really delicious with thee mashed potato and roasted carrots. Although it was challenging to eat since you really needed a sharper knife. I thought it was an odd choice for this kind of meal.  

After dinner was the Neon Glow Party. We got great seats and a cocktail. One of the dancers from earlier came over with some glow paint so of course we had to be festive!! They had some amazing fire performances!! The resort put on a really great show. I was sad to see that more guests didn't make the effort to come to the pool deck to see it.  

Today we will have breakfast in Hacienda. Then Angie will finish her filming. Our transfer will be arriving at 1PM to take us to the next hotel Dreams Aventuras which is about a ninety minute drive.

Hilton Cancun

Time to start two weeks in Mexico! Staying in seven resorts and will be visiting eight or nine more.  

We arrived at the Hilton about 3:30. After check-in we needed a little snack so had some very good tacos at Mazal. The Al.Pastor with grilled pineapple was my favorite. Crispy pork with the sweetness of the pineapple for the win!! 

 The shrimp tacos were pretty good as well. And of course every trip to Mexico has to start with a Paloma!! We're here for two nights and then will move to another resort.

We experienced "Grill Night" at the resort. It was defined as a "surf and turf" experience and it didn't disappoint. Seating was Al freso and you received a family style platter of flank steak, strip steak, grilled shrimp, salmon, sea bass and chicken.

 They also had a family style platter of sides including baked potato, mashed potato, broccoli, cauliflower and roasted chickpeas. Usually I am not a fan of Mexican beef however the strip steak was cooked perfectly medium rare and so flavorful. My favorite bite of the night. The flank steak was also very good. The salmon was well cooked with crispy skin. The sea bass wasn't as successful and was mushy. Overall a good meal. And they had a really good red blend from Guadeloupe that went very well with the beef. 

This morning we're relaxing in the room. When we checked in yesterday the front desk provided a complimentary upgrade to a swim out room. We had booked a standard junior suite so it was a very nice surprise. We ordered room service breakfast of waffles, Chilaquiles with salsa roja and fruit. The Chilaquiles were some of the best I've ever had. And considering they were from room service, they had been freshly made since the ships were still crisp. Wonderfully salty cojita cheese crumbles over a sunny side up egg!! So good!!

After our room service breakfast we headed to the activities pool. This pool is where most of the families with children tend to hang out I played some pool volleyball for about an hour. We then headed to the Chill Pool.

 This is a family resort, but the Chill Pool s the closest thing to an adults only area. We had a couple.og cocktails at the pool bar before we decided to get some lunch. We are at Sunan which is an Asian restaurant. We had some delicious smoked ribs and a very good shrimp salad. We also had a teppanyaki stir fry that had a really tasty ginger sauce, although the vegetables were a little al dente for me. 

After lunch Angie took her GoPro into the ocean for a swim. Make sure you're following her FB page Trips with Angie some she will be posting more about the Hilton Cancun resort and the others were visiting this trip. After her swim we decided we needed a mandatory rest period so we headed back to the room. We both napped for about three hours. About 7 PM we got ready for dinner. Tonight we had a reservation at Auma which is a steak and seafood restaurant featuring an open kitchen. But our reservation was at 10PM. So we hung out in the lobby watching the ending of the very thrilling Eagles/Bills game. 

 It was also time for a snack so I ordered a pizza. The lobby has a venue where you can order all kinds of pizza, salads and sandwiches. My pepperoni pizza was made to order and was ready in ten minutes. It was a decent pizza although it needed more sauce.  

We checked in for our reservation and sat down right at 10PM. The menu had some really interesting items. We ordered starters of a wedge salad, an eggplant "stacker" with risotto, clam chowder and onion soup. All very tasty. The eggplant was the most creative and my favorite. Thin roasted eggplant with a creamy vegan risotto along with other roasted vegetables and corn. The wedge was ice cold as it should be with a flavorful blue cheese dressing - maybe a bit too much. The clam chowder was chock full of clams in a creamy broth. It rivaled some of the chowders I've had in Maine. And the onion soup had a rich broth tasting of both onions and beef. And of course swiss cheese. 

For mains we had grilled octopus and grilled tuna.

 Both perfectly prepared. I've rarely been disappointed with the octopus at any Mexican restaurant. The chefs here just seem to know how to prepare it. Both were served with a savory chimichurri. No dessert.

For today's breakfast we went to Mazal, the Mexican restaurant. They had the usual assortment of breakfast favorites plus three cooking stations. One station was making quesadillas with freshly made tortillas. The chef would be forming your tortilla right before grilling. So tasty!! They also had a "make your own" Chilaquiles area. I have never seen that before. Today we will check out of the Hilton Cancun and head to the Royalton Chic which is located in the Hotel Zone. We'll be there for three nights. We will attempt to get some laundry done.

Thanksgiving week in Florida

We spent Thanksgiving week at a rental house in Treasure Island. We had a fun week swimming, filming GoPro videos, dolphin watching, and playing games. 

Rio de Janiero

 We had an amazing city tour of Rio De Janeiro today. We disembarked the ship at "last call" which was 9:45 AM.  We met our tour guide Michael and loaded up his car.  We went to Ipanema Beach, had lunch where the "Girl from Ipanema" song was written, then to Copacabana Beach, then Sugarloaf Mountain for amazing views!!  

 We also stopped off at an impressive Catholic church from the 1970's. It looks like a space capsule and was in fact modeled after the Apollo 13 capsule. 

 Finally a visit to a nearby lookout to see Christ The Redeemer.  Quite a sight even from this distance. We decided not to take the cable car up to the base of the statue since that would have taken three or four hours from start to finish.  

We wanted to see as much as we could of Rio in even hours. It was a great plan since when we were at Sugarloaf we ran into a couple who were in our ship and they had gone to the base. They said it was like being at the Sistene Chapel with crowds.   I've been in that kind of crowd and it's not my favorite.  So this worked out perfectly.  

We got to GIG at 4:45.  Went through security with our carry-ons.  No checked luggage this trip. We quickly found the Star Alliance Lounge.  We knew they had showers and asked for a reservation.  Luckily the lounge was nearly empty and we were shown to our individual shower rooms right away.   That felt good after a rather warm day and 8300 steps.  

Now having some liquid refreshment as we wait for our gate to be announced.  Boarding will be about 9:05 PM.  They have a dinner buffet so maybe and something although we will also have dinner on the plane.  But might want to sleep.  Decisions, decisions

Last Sea Day on the Seabourn Pursuit

Yesterday was our last sea day on Seabourn Pursuit. The ship had a special epicurean cocktail party out on deck including caviar, tuna poke, raclette, several fried favorites and a delicious Bullit Bourbon Sour. 

A good way to end the cruise. We had a nice dinner at The Colonnade with shrimp cocktail, carrot and mushroom soup along with perfectly cooked Dover sole. A nice final dinner. 

Today we sailed and docked in Rio de Janeiro. We'll have breakfast on the ship and then meet a guide we hired to take a tour of the city including seeing the Christ The Redeemer statue. Also will get some lunch. We haven't been in ports long enough to enjoy any of the local Brazilian cuisine, so we will try to take care of that today.  

Our flight from GIG to IAH is at 9:55 PM. Then onto IND after a two hour layover. Rio is two hours ahead of east code time so we may be back at our apartment by Noon on Wednesday. Much better than the 24 hours it took to fly from IND to MAO. It's been an amazing fourteen night trip through Amazonas and the Amazon River and forests. Saw many birds and wildlife. We'll be getting a video and photos that the ship's photographers took.

Natal, Brazil

Yesterday we were in Natal. We docked about 8AM and were off the ship by 8:20 to meet up for our excursion.  We did something a little out of our comfort zone. We headed on a dune buggy tour through the dunes of Natal.  It was a twenty minute ride to where the vehicles were.  We quickly found the light blue buggy that would be ours along with our driver. It was both thrilling to be zooming around the magnificent dunes and then the next minute driving on such beautiful beaches!!  Make sure you're following Angie's FB pages since she'll have some footage of the actual ride using her GoPro. 

We had several stops along the way. One of them was a beach club lagoon where they had some fruit, cold drinks and we were able to swim. The final stop was a beach club where we enjoyed some local beer.  

When we got back to the ship we headed straight to lunch.  It was an Indian themed lunch and they had a decent Tikka Masala.  After our quick lunch, we headed straight to the pool.  It was a popular spot and we chatted with lots of our fellow guests.  Lots of friendly people on this sailing.   With only 170 total passengers it's easy to know everyone. 

At 4:45 they had one of their Seabourn signature events on the aft pool deck.  They brought out caviar, toasts and creme fraiche and the head chef, hotel director and food and beverage manager were serving it to guests.  We decided we were enjoying the pool too much and stayed there past sunset.  As we sailed under and past the bridge, we could see the dunes we had been on just hours before.  When you come to Natal, I highly recommend taking a dune buggy tour.  

Today is our first of three sea days before we arrive in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday which is where we'll have our debarkation. Many passengers are staying on as the ship heads into Antarctica. That's another 21 days of sailing. We met a guest who has been on the ship since he boarded in Bridgetown Barbados and is headed to Antarctica.  He originally was going to get off in Manaus but decided to extend his trip.  Antarctica will have to wait - for now.

Halloween at Sea

Yesterday was the first of three sea days before we arrived at the port of Natal on Friday. While Angie caught up on some work, I spent the morning out at The Patio listening to some podcasts. I watched while Butch setup his Mojito station. He and David (Bar Manager) did a great job. 

Angie joined me for lunch where we each had one of the specials. I had the grilled mahi mahi and she had a ziti dish with spinach and bacon. We stayed out at The Patio all afternoon. We had great seats for the equator crossing ceremony at 3:30. The cruise director was the judge. Several of the expedition crew were mermaids, King Neptune and Queen Neptune. 

And then there were the pollywogs. That's the term used for anyone who is crossing the equator for the first time on a ship. Group by group, guests would be brought up to the judge to face King Neptune and be judged for their crimes. One group was accused of saying they would be at the evening show, but then heading to their cabin by 7:30. Others were accused of being Chair Hogs, throwing their flip flops on a chair at 6AM and not using the chair until after lunch. Of course the rest of us pronounced them all GUILTY!! And their punishment was to kiss the fish!! And then after all the verdicts, they all had to jump into the pool to be "cleansed". I'm not sure if sequins sink or float, but we'll find out on Wednesday.  

After that ceremony we decided to check out tea time in the Constellation Lounge. They had a very good assortment of sweet and savory items along with a choice of about eight different teas.

 All included in the cruise fare. After tea we headed back to the cabin for a mandatory rest period. We both took long naps as we woke up about 7:15. We got ready for dinner and headed to The Club for a sushi appetizer. Then to the Colonnade where they had a Thai dinner. Some great starters of grapefruit, orange and luno crab salad, Thai fish cake and then a well seasoned green curry chicken. All so good!! 

After dinner we headed to the Constellation Lounge for their Halloween Spooktacular. They had three different musical acts performing party favorites. Many guests had bright costumes and most of the crew were made up as zombies. It was a very fun party with lots of good music and dancing. 

 After some time, it was back to the cabin. 

Wednesday is another sea day. Butch will be setting up an Aperol Spritz station. The expedition crew will be available for questions and to help spot any wildlife. Yesterday there was a reported whale sighting. We also have a galley tour at 4PM.