The Adventures of Larry and Clare: 08.07.14

All aboard!

We woke up late today. 6:30. First thing we went to the fitness area and did our laps for the day. Instead of going to the gym we chose to walk the track and had a spectacular view of Venice. I’m going to really miss the charm of this beautiful city.

We had time to kill before the mandatory safety meeting, which Larry was refusing to attend (they made him go anyway) so we went to the pool and read books for awhile under the shade. Because it was so hot we didn't stay poolside long.

After the completion of the safety meeting (which by the way we now know all about the rules and life preservers) our ship set sail. We were able to sit on our balcony and wave goodbye to the city we fell in love with. The cruise ship sailed right past St. Marks Square as it left Venice. It was a sensational send off!

Sail Away

We knew it was time to set sail when we heard the Love Boat Theme.

Sail away at 1:55 PM

After lunch we met up with our Australian lady friends and taught them how to play 5 crowns. It was a great time.

I was feeling a little sea sick this evening, but not too bad, so we ate a hearty dinner of Mexican food. Not a smart move for me. We went to the comedy show, and about 10 minutes into the show I was feeling pretty rotten. I excused myself and went back to our room. Feeling a little panicked about throwing up, I was fumbling with the packet holding my ear patches. I finally got one on, tried the fresh air trick on the balcony with no success, and barely made it to the bathroom. Things had been going so well with no motion sickness that I didn't think I would need the patch. That mistake will NOT be made again! Poor Larry!

A little bit of information about our cruise ship. We sailed on the brand new Regal Princess, the newest Princess ship which was just christened in May 2014, and is the twin of the Royal Princess (a couple of years old). Both are the largest ships in the fleet.

Principessa

If you look really close, you can see our room - 3rd door from the left, bottom row.

The Regal Princess - Home for the next 12 days

Although large they are so well designed that often they give you a small ship feel. We loved the large open deck with with the gigantic screen where we watched movies under the stars. By the pool they had a special area for water and music shows like the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas.

Top deck pool with the Movie Under the Stars in the background

The dancing fountains, Bellagio style

Let's swim and watch a movie all at the same time. Why not? We're cruising baby!

Our room had a balcony, which we really enjoyed. Food was good in the buffets and dining rooms, and we also enjoyed their special pizza restaurant on the ship. We exercised their walking track and exercise room (with racing bikes). With all the delicious food, both on ship and on land, we made good use of the gym and walking track.

Sorry for the unmade bed - We're on vacation!

I may have eaten more than one of these guys. It was so yummy!

Who wouldn't eat their fruit served this way?

The fruit was so delicious; we actually ate more of it than we did the desserts.

The entertainment was good. We saw comedians (Doug Funk was the best), magicians and wonderful musicians which included the marvelous violinist, Rafael, a Beatles tribute by the Beatle Maniacs, and great vocal singers.

Rafael was great!

The Beatle Maniacs

An All-Star cast finale!

We spent most of our pool time in the adult only (but not topless) pool area since there were lots of children on the ship. Life on a cruise ship really spoils you.