Relaxing Sea Day

34-Day Cross Country RV Trip + 7-Day Caribbean Cruise 2022

Day 17: Port Canaveral, Florida

May 15, 2022

We slept well last night and I woke up after 6:30 this morning. Got ready, then I left the cabin and went out to take some pictures while the ship is still quiet. I went to Deck 16 first and there was hardly anyone there at the Lido pool deck area. Then I made my way to Deck 8 and got a hot cup of freshly ground coffee from the machine there. I think this is the only machine on the ship that has freshly ground coffee. Then I came back and had the guys get up and get ready for Sea Day Brunch at the Palm’s. It appears that they have Sea Day Brunch on each of the sea days.

 

Sea Day Brunch

One thing we enjoy on Carnival cruises is their Sea Day Brunch which has a huge menu. It would take several days to try out all the delicious items available. 

Salad Tower with Ahi Tuna and Shrimp salad

Steak and Egg

Burger

Cake Skillet

Breakfast was really good. I had the steak and egg, and also the salad tower with Ahi Tuna and Shrimp salad. Really good! MOR also had the steak and egg, oatmeal, and fruit. Ch had the Cake Skillet and also the burger that he said was really good.

After breakfast, we walked up on deck for a little bit and explore this gigantic ship. There's so much to see that I don't even think we were able to check out every corners on board. It's a lively ship with a lot of activities and many interesting places that can keep anyone  busy for the week. 

How cute! A Vesper scooter.

Deck 8

A beautiful ship!

Pig and Anchor station out on deck 8. Complimentary lunch on sea days.

Inside, Pig and Anchor bronze pig outside the brewery.

BBQ grill

Tables by the pizzeria

Then at noon, we met son by the Street Eats then into the buffet for lunch. MOR got a couple of bao again today. The buffet on this ship is really small and lacking. Probably because there are so many other options, they decided to make the buffet a little less appealing. After lunch, we came back to the cabin and napped. I must be very tired I think I slept for more than an hour and a half.

With the huge breakfast, this was all I had for lunch that day.

It's formal night, so we got ready and went down to Palm for our dinner at around 5:50. The wait time was a little longer than yesterday but still not bad. Our servers were very good tonight and Jay was our main server. He was quite professional, comparing to the one last night. We had a good table near the center of the restaurant so it was more interesting to be able to see all the things that was going on.

Waiting to be seated at dinner.

After dinner, we walked around, watched the variety show at Central Stage for a little bit before coming back and calling it a day. A relaxing day at sea in deed. Tomorrow will be another sea day and we plan on going to Sea Food Brunch again.

Goodnight!

"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." -- Proverbs 30:5
 

Boarding the Mardi Gras in Port Canaveral

34-Day Cross Country RV Trip + 7-Day Caribbean Cruise 2022

Day 16: Port Canaveral, Florida

May 14, 2022

This is the day! Boarding Day on the Mardi Gras in Port Canaveral. It's especially exciting boarding a cruise ship during the pandemic. Well, we had a cruise last September to Alaska, but unfortunately, MOR fell sick (non-COVID) on the second day so that cruise was ruined by his health issue. This time around, he should be able to enjoy the whole cruise if everything goes right. The only difference is that we will need to watch our every move to make our cruise as safe as can be since we are still in COVID watch.

From Orlando to Port Canaveral it is just about an hour and a half. I actually woke up at 4:30, too much excitement, I suppose. We left the campground at 9:00 and on our way to the port on the east coast. It was about 10:30 by the time we arrived port. It was an easy drive being on a Saturday but just as everybody said, do not trust the GPS. We just watched for the signs and ignored what the GPS said because it was telling us to go to the other terminal where the rest of the Carnival ships dock at. Terminal 3 is built especially for Mardi Gras, a mega ship. 

As we were driving into the terminal, we were instructed by the staff to drop off our luggage and then park on the side of the parking structure. We wouldn't be able to fit inside the structure so we will be outside for the week. There were a couple of vans parked nearby and we fit right in. A female attendant came over and took our credit card to pay for the week. She assured us that it is safe to park out here because they have security and cameras 24-hour a day. It cost $17 a day and $135 a week, not a bad deal actually. I have checked the other parking services nearby and some of them required to pay for two spots because of the size of the RV. This turned out to be much better, at least it's right at the port terminal.

Leaving the RV at the outdoor parking for the week.

Next to the parking lot of the casino boat.

Checking in with long lines of people but it went really quick. We had a 11:30 check-in time and we were on board at around that time.

Mardi Gras is huge!

Stepping onto the gangway is always exciting!

First thing was to report to our muster station for a safety briefing. Our station was inside ChiBang where they showed us how to put on the life jacket. That was it! Just a few minutes of our time. Much easier than before.

Since the cabins were not ready, we headed over to Pig and Anchor, the BBQ venue on the ship, for some lunch. It was a little difficult to find the service because the counter is outside on deck, but we finally figured it out. Got our food and then brought it back inside to eat at the restaurant. Food was delicious, with different kind of meats with all the fixings, like beans, corn, and mac and cheese. 

Inside Pig and Anchor

It soon got quite crowded.

After lunch, our cabin was still not ready, so we just waited by the stairways for the door to open.

At 1:30, they finally opened all doors to the hallway and we were able to enter our cabin. 

Our room for the next seven days. I really like the sleek design.

Spacious even with the third bed set up.

Port Canaveral, with the Jetty Park RV Campground nearby.

Parking structure in port.

I guess Carnival lived up to it's reputation as Party cruises.

This must be the most actively participated sail-away I have seen.

The fun begins!

We found a quiet and shady spot in the back of the ship as we watched another Carnival ship sailed away. I believe that was the Elation, a ship we sailed on quite a few years back.

Another excitement of the day. A rocket was launched at Cape Canaveral at the same time as our sail-away. Definitely a bonus on this cruise.

Up, up, and away!

We could see the RV from the deck as we sailed away from port.

The gamble ship.

Leaving Port Canaveral!

They have one specialty item serving at the Steam station at Street Eats. A bao is a must try!

He totally enjoyed his daily dose of bao.

After unpacking, it was time for our anytime dining at the main dining room.

Caesar Salad and Shrimp Cocktail

Braised Beef Brisket

Grilled Mahi Mahi

Lasagna

Melting Chocolate Cake to end the meal.

We will have two sea days before reaching our first destination.  Please come back to join us! For video on this day, please click here.

"Choose knowledge rather than choice gold."  -- Proverbs 8: 10