Feet Don’t Fail Me Now!

[jenseib]

Stranger things have happened.

Yes they have!!!!

That is good. When we tried to eat at Disney Springs on a Saturday last year, we gave up as the lines were so long everywhere.

I swear it's always busy, especially in the evenings. The days of Disney without crowds is long gone. I blame it on fastpass+

 

[jenseib]

May 25, 2017, Saturday, Day 4


It was my last full day before our work event started…but we still had work plans today. I got up early and got showered and ready.


I went outside and thought……Wow, it’s pretty foggy today. I was a little shocked. I have never been to Florida really when the fog was heavy, though I know it happens and I always love seeing pictures of people at Disney with thick fog trying to capture the castle or some other icon.


I met up with Lenora and we got some breakfast and got packed up and I took my bags out to the van.


Going through the pool area was the fastest route.


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I believe I pulled the van around the front to pick up the rest of the bags and Lenora and then we programed our phones and headed off. We were actually leaving a little later than planned and Lenora was worried about that, but I knew we would be fine.


We chatted away as we drove and before long we could see the ships as we approached. Now we were heading to tour the NCL Epic……but the Fantasy was also in port….and I may have been a bit more excited about that. LOL.


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We pulled up and told them we were coming to tour the Epic and we were not sure where to park. We got lucky and they directed us to just park in the employee parking lot. Yay!!!!


Hello Epic!


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And of course….Hello Fantasy!


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We had to walk a little ways, but it wasn’t bad.


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As we walked to the terminal and tried to figure out where to check in at we noticed that people were still getting off the ship. I made a comment that that was kind of late for them to be getting off. It was about 10:15ish and usually they will try to have the ship cleared out by then. We walked up and asked someone where to go and they pointed us to someone else. Lots of confusion and no one seemed to know anything.


We finally found someone who told us to wait there and a lady said she had a group touring today as well and to just stick with them. We found out she was a BDM (Business Development Manager) for NCL and she had a group coming in by bus. She said that because of the fog this morning, the ship was just starting to disembark as it only arrived just a bit ago. Aha! That explains why people were coming out….and I never even put 2 and 2 together when I saw the thick fog this morning. Well that sucks! But there was nothing we could do about it. The BDM was a little gruff, but I think that was just her personality. We chatted with her a bit and then just kind of waited to be called. Usually they take touring groups in a back way but she insisted on going in the regular way as it is so much easier and they said yes, but then they had to go search for our names to be sure we were on the list as well. I am really glad we found this lady as we would have never known to find this back way area to board on our own.


After a bit, the tour bus group arrived….they had been stuck in traffic trying to get into the port…sounds like we arrive right before the backup started…and once they all gathered we were let into the Terminal. We had to have our name checked off a list and hand over our passports till we got back off the ship. Lenora and I were told we had to have passports to get on, but I was pretty sure we could have with a license and birth certificate and sure enough most of the bus group just has a drivers license.


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The Terminal was pretty empty, so we took pictures.


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I was surprised at how nice it was. In my experience every other Terminal I have been in besides Disney’s one in Port Canaveral has had more of a warehouse feel to it.


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You could see the walkway to get off the ship through that window and every so often we would see groups of people getting off.


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We were told we would be going in through the Haven Entrance and eventually would be called to wait in there..oh good! They have snacks in there!


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But somewhere along the line someone changed their mind and we never did go in there. Dang!


They had us all sit in an area and we took up a couple of rows of chairs. They asked that we stayed together so that when we were called we could easily make our way on. We would be the first group on, but it could be an hour or 2 yet. UGH!.


We used the bathroom and made camp in some seats.


epic5 by Jenseib, on Flickr


The majority of the bus tour group were elderly people, mainly women with a few men in tow. We started talking with a couple of the ladies who were friends and they were hysterical. They were starving and they were going to have a sit down lunch and they couldn’t wait to get on. I knew the feeling. I was getting hungry too.


They eventually started letting the rest of the passengers into the terminal too and it became very full and loud.


epic6 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We just made the best of it.


epic1 by Jenseib, on Flickr

 

[jagafen]

That's neat about the family you met on the Caribbean princess, and keeping in touch with them! We've had "cruise friends" before, but not that we've kept in contact with afterwards.

The Caribbean Princess has a special place in our hearts....that's where DH and I were married!

 

[dolphingirl47]

Now we were heading to tour the NCL Epic……but the Fantasy was also in port….and I may have been a bit more excited about that.

That must have been strange.

I made a comment that that was kind of late for them to be getting off. It was about 10:15ish and usually they will try to have the ship cleared out by then.

When we were on the Norwegian Jade many years ago, the final debarkation for the first part of our back to back cruise was only made at 11:00. We only had an hour to enjoy the nearly empty ship before the new guests came on board.

She said that because of the fog this morning, the ship was just starting to disembark as it only arrived just a bit ago.

Oh, that would be a pain all around.

In my experience every other Terminal I have been in besides Disney’s one in Port Canaveral has had more of a warehouse feel to it.

I quite liked the terminal that we used when we stopped at Port Canaveral last year. This terminal is usually used by Carnival.

Corinna

 

[jenseib]

That's neat about the family you met on the Caribbean princess, and keeping in touch with them! We've had "cruise friends" before, but not that we've kept in contact with afterwards.

The Caribbean Princess has a special place in our hearts....that's where DH and I were married!

I think these are the only people I have connected with via facebook when actually meeting them on a ship. I don't talk often to them, but they are nice and nice to see what they are doing.
How fun to get married on the ship. I tried to talk my oldest daughter into doing that but she decided on Sandals Royal Bahamian....which was beautiful.

That must have been strange.

It was hard seeing the Fantasy knowing that I couldn't board her. LOL. But I get to in just over 2 weeks time now!

When we were on the Norwegian Jade many years ago, the final debarkation for the first part of our back to back cruise was only made at 11:00. We only had an hour to enjoy the nearly empty ship before the new guests came on board.

It was really weird but at first I didn't think too much about it...till I found out why.

Oh, that would be a pain all around.

It was and it was a long day then.

I quite liked the terminal that we used when we stopped at Port Canaveral last year. This terminal is usually used by Carnival.

It was a very nice terminal...and yes. I do remember seeing Carnival ships docked there now that you say that. And Royal Caribbean too if I remember right.

 

[jenseib]

We decided once we boarded we would head to the buffet and get lunch. We already knew we would not be able to see all the rooms now and time on the ship was not going to be nearly as much as we originally planned as they told us we had to be off the ship by a certain time (I believe it was 3)


Every so often we would see more people go through the hallway to get off the ship. And then it started being 1 or 2 here and there. Seriously? You are hours late to get in port and you still can’t get your butt off the ship in a timely fashion. One lady was walking so slow like she hadn’t a care in the world…then her slower friend comes up behind her and they stop every so often to take selfies. Good grief!


It was also really hot in the terminal. I thought that was strange and wondered why they hadn’t turned the air on or up with so many people in there. It was hot before all the people arrived. After a bit, one of the ladies from the bus group started to not feel well and before you knew it she passed out. NCL seemed slow to respond but I guess they hadn’t gotten word, but a couple of passengers were EMT’s and they helped her more than anything. One NCL person did tell someone else to go and be sure the air is on and up as it was way too hot in here. I felt bad for the poor lady.


Soon after that we got the OK to be let on the ship. I later read that others were mad that “some group” got to board before the Haven Guest did. LOL. I am sure they were only minutes behind us.


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We were given 2 names to ask for to help us get set up. We had been asking for these 2 people since we arrived, only to be told they were on the ship. If we had not found this group, we really would have been lost trying to get on and where to go.


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This is where the boarding picture is taken.


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With NCL you board outside and not into the Atrium like you typically do with Disney. We made our way and just followed the group.


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And we finally found the person we were supposed to meet up with. She gave a list of rooms and room keys for each room. She told us to go to the Haven first as those people would have access to their rooms shortly…so we headed to the elevator and told the man manning it we were headed that way to tour it and he took us up.


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For those that don’t know, The Haven is like the concierge type rooms on NCL. The rooms are nicer, they get extra perks, and they usually have a private pool and in most cases a whole private area as to where their rooms are. They are pricey, but some of the perks you get are worth it if you watch the prices. Always compare when pricing a room out because the extra cost to go to the Haven may be worth it.


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The Epic is a somewhat newer ship, so it was built with the Haven and it is really nice.


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We were told if the doors were open to the rooms we were to inspect then that meant that the passenger’s had not arrived yet.


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I don’t have my list with me (it’s in a folder somewhere) so I can’t remember each type of room, but some are more “fancy” than others. Now I will also say, that NCL’s decorating is totally different than some other lines, especially Disney. So it might not be for everyone, however the price compared to Disney is usually much cheaper.


Room #1.


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Not too bad for a cruise ship room….eh?


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You get upgraded toiletries too.


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[jenseib]

How about waking up to that view daily?


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We wouldn’t mind being “stuck” in this room.


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Room # 2.


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Room # 3.


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Well well well….look at the view from this balcony.


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Me likey!!!!!


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And another view of the Haven pool.


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And here is a common area where you can play games or whatever you want to do.


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We really enjoyed the Haven and both of us would love to sail in this area someday. On my last NCL cruise, I was on the Jewel and I got what is called a Penthouse Suite. It was not located in the Haven, and for the most part I did not have access to the Haven, (except when we sailed to the glacier and had an invite to see it from there) but my room was bigger than most rooms and I had many of the other perks that Haven guests get…but it was at a better price. If the Haven is out of your price range, but the ship you want to sail has a penthouse suite….go for it. We still had some great perks and a super roomy room.

 

[dolphingirl47]

It was a very nice terminal...and yes. I do remember seeing Carnival ships docked there now that you say that. And Royal Caribbean too if I remember right.

I was on a Royal Caribbean ship when we were docked there. Both the Anthem of the Seas and the Navigator of the Seas were in Port Canaveral that day. The Anthem used the Royal Caribbean terminal and Navigator used the Carnival terminal.

We were given 2 names to ask for to help us get set up. We had been asking for these 2 people since we arrived, only to be told they were on the ship. If we had not found this group, we really would have been lost trying to get on and where to go.

That was a bit of a pain. One would have expected that they shared this important bit of information with you.

She gave a list of rooms and room keys for each room.

Goodness, that was low key. I had my first ship visit today and that was a lot more structured. We had one of the sales managers with us at all times.

epic73 by Jenseib, on Flickr

I love that artwork.

Me likey!!!!!

That is a beautiful photo.

Corinna

 

[jenseib]

I was on a Royal Caribbean ship when we were docked there. Both the Anthem of the Seas and the Navigator of the Seas were in Port Canaveral that day. The Anthem used the Royal Caribbean terminal and Navigator used the Carnival terminal.

Yes. I think I have seen it there before...Carnival is often on the other side too when I am there. It probably depends on the day of the week.

That was a bit of a pain. One would have expected that they shared this important bit of information with you.

I was really disappointed in the lack of instruction they gave us. It made it such a pain to figure out where to go and had we not found that group it could have taken longer of us to get in to the termimal.

Goodness, that was low key. I had my first ship visit today and that was a lot more structured. We had one of the sales managers with us at all times.

I knew it would be self guided as this was one we requested. If they are actually having a sign up for the date then those are guided usually. Self guided was fine for me.

I love that artwork.

I said the same thing!

That is a beautiful photo.

Yes it is....2 weeks from today and I will see her again!

 

[jenseib]

Ok, we were starting for fade away from hunger, so we went in search of the buffet. We kept getting ourselves backwards and couldn’t remember which way the ship was facing. LOL.


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Aha! Here it is.


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It wasn’t too crowded in here yet.


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Pizza was going fast, but I did find fresh pizza on the other side later.


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We found a spot to sit and loaded up our plates.


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And the view from our table.


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Lenora mentioned she would go get us drinks….um remember….we aren’t sailing…we can't get “free” drinks….Oh yeah. But they should have some basics like lemonade and tea and she found something and brought us each a glass.


We enjoyed lunch and went up for 2nds and it really hit the spot. There is something about vacation where you get a “vacation stomach” and you just need to eat every 2-3 hours. Even on work trips!


We finished up and got ready to leave so we could see just a bit more before we had to get off the ship when we hear “Lenora!!!!!” It was the people she had sat by on the plane. Holy cow! What a small world. They seemed really nice and she chatted with them a few minutes and then we headed off.


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We still had a list of regular rooms to visit but with such limited time we did want to see some of the common areas as well.


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Such a beautiful view.


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Being on the ship really made me feel sad I was not sailing this trip. I just love cruising….but I guess if I couldn’t sail…at least touring a ship would be 2nd best.


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[jenseib]

We then made our way down to tour some more rooms. Sadly most of our keys no longer would work in the doors as I assumed it was close to the time guests could go to their rooms. So we did the next best thing….if a room door was open, we just stepped in and took pictures.



Now I knew the Epic had some weird set ups in their rooms. Some people don’t mind it while others complain about it quite a bit. I for one am not a fan at all.


This is the bathtub/shower…..


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Yep…..I am sure you can see it….The DOOR is right next to it….it is not in its own room. So the people in your room can see your shadow showering as well….and if you have a visitor while you are showering….well you better warn you family members not to open the door.


And the sink and toilet are across from that….again, the toilet door is NOT solid…it’s that foggy glass…..Um…I like complete privacy when I do my business.


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Soooooo….. I can see the toilet in this next picture….so you know will be able to sort of see a person in there too. I think I would have to kick everyone out of the room when I used the toilet. LOL.


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The rooms are different on the Epic too. They are kind of curved and wavy. I guess the theory was more room?


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And the next room….as you can see with the wavy floor plan the couch which turns into a bed is on a curve. I have heard from some this is not comfortable for adults, but kids seem to be ok with it.


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I totally laughed at seeing this plate out in the hall. There was a big issue with room service trays and plates being left in the hall and not getting picked up and NCL tried to change some policies, including charging now for room service.


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Here is a kids club.


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Yeah…Disney clubs usually win hands down….that being said, the best time Claire ever had in a club was on NCL….so that just shows that you can have a lot of fun without “stuff”.


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The Epic also has a unique feature…it has rooms for singles at a cheaper cost. They have their own little area and even a little club like place where they can hang out and meet each other. I really wanted to check that area out so we headed that way.


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This is the area where they can hang out.


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Now these rooms are very small, but for a single person they are perfect. I have actually heard of couples getting 2 of these rooms at a cheaper cost than a regular room….so always price both options out if this area interest you.


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The room just basically has all the essentials.


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We went in a couple of the rooms and they were all pretty similar with some having different glowing lights. I am not sure if they always glow like that or if it is a setting for embarkation day.


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The hallway glowed too…this picture is with flash.


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And without.


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Another room.


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And the lounge area again.


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And time was ticking and we figured it was time we should head off the ship. I am sure we could have stretched it a bit longer but we didn’t want to take a chance and really to look around more would take up more time than we had.


We made our way off the ship and we of course were like salmon swimming upstream to get off. We stopped and asked where we needed to get our passports from and a lady went into the locked room to get them. It had one of those mirror windows so I peeked in and I saw her going through a pile if driver’s license…all probably from the bus tour…and only about 4 passports sitting off to the side. I tried tapping on the window and kept saying “passports!” Finally she saw me and realized what I meant and brought those out to us and we then exited. There were still a ton of people coming and boarding. Quite a few for this time of day for sure.



So my thoughts on the Epic…..It is a nice ship and I love sailing out of PC, so that’s a plus right now for it. I liked the food and the ship looks to have a lot of activities and I wish we could have done more exploring, but we were very limited on time. But would I sail on her….yes and no. If I was in a Haven room I would have no issues at all sailing her….but the regular….um that is really iffy. The whole bathroom set up is just not for me. I really like privacy and the see through door for me is a game changer. If it was just Claire and I….maybe? If Skip was with us…no way in heck!

If I were to sail alone I would not mind those single rooms at all. Those were nice and compact and perfect for one person.

I know these issues may not be for everyone but for me it would make me really think hard before sailing on the ship, which is a shame. Hopefully some day they change the bathroom set up…and maybe put a wall that isn’t just foggy glass and then I would feel more comfortable sailing on her.

 

[jenseib]

We walked out of the terminal and headed back to our van. We noticed a girl sitting against the wall with her luggage…I guess someone forgot to pick her up after the cruise? EEEK!


We walked around the building and had to take one last picture of the Fantasy.


fantasy10 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Yep…I love to sail on other ships, but Disney is still my passion and I think their ships are just the prettiest!


We headed out then and made our way to the closest gas station to get gas. I figured we would fill up before we left for the airport to return the car and then take our chances as to how much we had used. I know from past experiences that the stations near the airport can charge a whole heck of a lot and I didn’t want to get stuck there.


I think we picked up some drinks too and I paid with my debit….and that is the last I ever saw of that card…but I didn’t realize it till days later. My guess is I set it down and it fell in a crack and I never noticed it.


On the drive back we both got texts from Universal welcoming us and letting us know where to pick up the shuttle. Universal charges for their shuttle to their hotels, but with our event it was included and we wanted to try it out. We had put in flight info that would have us arrive about the time we had planned to be done with the ship tour….which ironically was my original flight. Lenora went and looked at which flight she could put in and low and behold, the fake flight she used actually connected in Columbus and would put her on the same flight as me.


We arrived at the airport and returned the van and it was still showing a full tank of gas!!! Yay! Of course I always feel rushed when I return a car, with me trying to be sure I have everything and they are inspecting it all as well. Well, as I now know, I must have left my debit card in there.


We made our way over to the terminal area and we were going to take turns checking in at the Universal shuttle desk and the other was going to watch the luggage….so we didn’t have to drag it all over….but I was kind of tired and I told Lenora if they let her check me in too, then by all means do it.


It seemed like she was gone a while and I tried texting her and got no reply and then I got worried she got lost and when I was just about to give up hope and try to drag all the bags to find her…I got a text with my shuttle info. Ok, she must have been able to check me in then. Yay! Soon she came out and told me where to go and we went and waited for the shuttle.


When you take the shuttle and arrive between certain hours, they give you this folder which will have your different package elements in it…tickets, dining vouchers, etc.


shuttle1 by Jenseib, on Flickr


A couple of shuttles pulled up at the same spot, but eventually ours did. The guy had a thick accent and was hard to understand.


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He messed up every single name he said….and no one was replying. He said my name….and I am not sure how you can butcher Jennifer, but her did. He was even worse with Lenora’s name. I think one other lady’s name was Deborah and that was totally butchered and he said one other name and no one answered and we had no clue what it was.


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He had no personality either. I think he may have been new? Just my guess, but he was not very good at his job.

We loaded up and then he said we had to wait for one more person coming….ok….then someone walks up to his window to ask if they can get a ride for their family. The driver talks them to a bit and I think he directs them where to go….and we take off. So much for waiting for someone else.


Off we go!


As we got closer we saw Volcano Bay still being built…and wondered how it would be done before the May opening….and just an FYI…it was technically not. They made it seem like it was but many things were not finished and as I write this it is still opening week and stuff is broken down constantly and the crowds are insane. I am sure they are still working out things and it will get better.


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shuttle5 by Jenseib, on Flickr


shuttle6 by Jenseib, on Flickr


So we pull into Hard Rock first…Lenora and I give each other questioning looks as we know the other lady is not going there either. Lenora asks the driver why we are stopping here when no one is getting off and he says yes, one passenger is staying here…..um no, none of us are and we name the resorts that we are staying at…and he says yes, but the 4th passenger, Lisa, (I think that was the name but he butchered it) was staying here. Lenora tells him there are only 3 of us in the van…he looks around totally shocked. OMG!!!


shuttle7 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana2 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana3 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana4 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana5 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Lenora thinks the other lady that had been standing at the bus stop…even before we got there was the lady that was missing. She couldn’t understand the guy naming the names and I think she was a bit timid and just never spoke up.


On we went.


cabana6 by Jenseib, on Flickr


The other lady in the van got off at Royal Pacific.


cabana7 by Jenseib, on Flickr


And then we headed to Cabana Bay where we would be staying tonight.


cabana8 by Jenseib, on Flickr


9 of us would be coming to Universal today, and 8 of us were staying at Cabana Bay. Michelle, our boss, was staying at Sapphire Falls. We had 3 rooms total at Cabana Bay, with 2 being suites, so 3 of us stayed in each of those rooms and then 1 standard, where Stephanie and Lisa were staying together for the night.


Lenora and I were staying with Patty tonight. Patty had just gotten off the Carnival Vista that morning in Miami and her family dropped her off in Orlando as they drove back home.


We had requested to be near the 3 others who were in a suite, Carol, Pam and Wendy, and Patty had texted us to let us know we were actually in a connecting room …. Yay! Patty said for us to just head to the desk and they would have our keys waiting for us. So we did just that.


With our keys in hand, we headed to our room, which was on the 3rd floor.


cabana9 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I really slacked at pictures once we arrived.


We made our way to the 3rd floor and made our way to the room…which was further down that I expected and on our way we met up with the other girls who were coming back from the pool. We all were chatting a mile a minute and this was the first time Lenora was meeting them all.


We got settled in and I had volunteered to take the sofa bed, as I had stayed here just a few months ago and had a regular bed. Claire had had the sofa bed and complained it was not comfy and I of course wanted to prove her wrong as well.


In all our excitement I didn’t take a single picture of the room…I don’t think I actually ever did….so I am going to post pictures of the room I stayed in last Oct., which is identical in looks to this one.


cabana3 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana4 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana5 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana6 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana7 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana8 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana9 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana11 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana12 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana13 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana14 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana17 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana42 by Jenseib, on Flickr


So there you go…now I don’t feel so bad for not taking pictures this time around.

 

[jenseib]

One of the girls had a cute Cabana Bay cup and I decided I needed one so I headed downstairs and took some pictures and then headed to the pool bar to get a drink. Some of the gals were going to shower and get cleaned up for the evening.


cabana9 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana10 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana11 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana45 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana46 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana47 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I just love this place.


cabana48 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I noticed the pop machine had been moved and there were some boarding up around the side.


cabana49 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I asked what was going on and they told me they are building a quick service location at this pool. Currently there is one at the other pool and inside the resort, but I guess people complained about there not being one over here too. Good idea!


I couldn’t find a drink that was really calling to me so I ordered something and asked for it in the cute cup.


cabana50 by Jenseib, on Flickr


The drink was just ok. I can’t remember the name, but it had an orange flavor, but just not a strong enough orange flavor for me to really like it.


I headed back to the room where we started discussing dinner plans. Now we always have a hard time deciding where to eat as a group. We are a lot of chiefs with no Indians. We also didn’t have a reservation anywhere…but at Universal that isn’t always a bad thing as they take a lot of walk ups.

No one could decide where to go and we just kind of kept chatting. I think Patty started looking online and then I decided to call. They told me what had little to no waits so we decided to head over to City Walk, with Margaritaville being the top choice. Yes..I had just been there a few nights ago, but I really like it so I didn’t mind at all.

Michelle wanted to join us, so we said we would head over to Sapphire Falls across the street and then go from there with her. Stephanie had been at the Magic Kingdom today with friends in town, but she messaged that she would try to meet up with us over there as well.


So we all trudged out and walked down the driveway of Cabana Bay and we thought the sign looked so neat lit up and we took several pictures.


cabana13 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I saw an RV parked…which was kind of weird as I had just read a few weeks ago that they did not allow RV parking directly at the hotels…I guess that person was wrong.


cabana14 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana16 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana51 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana17 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana18 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana19 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We were surprised to see that there wasn’t a crosswalk here and actually there were signs saying not to cross….but lots of people were doing it and so did we. Of course, it was later tomorrow that we found out that if we had followed the sidewalk to our left there was a bridge across the street that would have been much safer. The thing is….it was quite a ways down and then you would have to walk back to Sapphire from there. It wasn’t the easiest route to take and the signage was very poor.


We then walked up the drive to Sapphire Falls.


cabana20 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana52 by Jenseib, on Flickr


This was my first time actually setting foot on this property.


cabana21 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana22 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana23 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana24 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana25 by Jenseib, on Flickr


And the lobby was so pretty and lit up at night.


cabana26 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana27 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana28 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana53 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Sapphire Falls has a Caribbean theme.


cabana29 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana30 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana31 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana32 by Jenseib, on Flickr

 

[jenseib]

We met up with Michelle then.


cabana33 by Jenseib, on Flickr


And headed down the stairs to the boat launch.


cabana34 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana35 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana36 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana37 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Of course…with props around…some of us had to take pictures of others posing with said props. LOL. I won’t share those though.


cabana38 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We passed this restaurant which was pretty empty and the debate started on whether we should eat here or not.


cabana39 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana40 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We checked out the menu and it had something we would all eat…but we hymn-hawed around. No one wanted to be the one to make the deciding factor. I finally put it out there….If you really want to eat here then say yes now, or we move on….no one said yes…so we headed to the boat launch.


You do have to go through security to get on the boat as it drops you off in City Walk….and anyone in City Walk has gone through security at some point already.


cabana41 by Jenseib, on Flickr


The ride was peaceful and beautiful and we passed Royal Pacific along the way and soon we were being deposited in City Walk and the boat launch there.


We made our way over towards Margaritaville.


cabana42 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana43 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana54 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I believe we had about a 20 minute wait or so and we just kind of hung out and some of us looked through the store as well. Lots of cute stuff in there!!!


We then got called in and seated. There was a girl walking around on stilts.


cabana55 by Jenseib, on Flickr


cabana56 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Our waitress came over and I did a double take….Were you working at the bar on Thursday evening…..Yes I was….and you ordered the Club….Yes I did! What a small world.


I ordered some sort of Mango drink.


cabana57 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I believe Lenora ordered this but shared it and it was really good.


cabana58 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I got the quesadilla this time to try something new.


cabana44 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I thought it was good. Pam also got it and she said she didn’t care for hers. She said hers had a weird taste…so I am not sure if there was something different on hers than mine, but mine was fine. I still probably wouldn’t order it again…only because I really like the Club there and the Nachos as well…so those probably would win over this.


Stephanie arrived at some point and we pulled in another chair and she made a quick order and we all had a good time talking and eating.


We were getting tired so we paid our bills and then headed back towards Cabana Bay. Actually a couple of gals wanted to go buy something and they were going to meet us, but we were so slow they ended up beating us there.

Since we had come from Sapphire Falls via boat, I had to remember how to get back to Cabana Bay, which is by bus. I did remember and we made our way, but the signage is poor once again and if you weren’t somewhat familiar it would be easy to miss. Luckily between me and some of the other girls who had been over to City Walk earlier today, we found our way to the bus.


We headed back and everyone was so tired and were heading back to the rooms. I made a stop outside before heading in to call home and talked to Skip for a bit. Once the call was over I headed into the lobby to find all the girls talking and Lisa had finally arrived as well. So then we talked there for a bit….then we decided to go back to our rooms…wait lets get a drink…oh there is the Starbucks…so snacks and/or drinks were purchased by some….and more talking.


Finally we couldn’t last any longer and all headed to our rooms to get ready for bed. I pulled out the couch and turned on the TV to watch for a bit. Patty said she was going to read on her phone and to let her know if the light bothered us….but I said I was going to have the TV on a bit…so no.

Well, Claire wasn’t lying….that couch bed is not the most comfy thing. I tend to have a bad back anyways and am pretty picky with beds….but this was too hard and too thin. I could handle it for one night, but for me I couldn’t do a few nights on that bed.

Good thing I was super tired! I didn’t watch TV for very long and then I turned it off and went for some much needed sleep!

 

[dolphingirl47]

We kept getting ourselves backwards and couldn’t remember which way the ship was facing.

I know that feeling as well. For some reason I keep get turned around on ships, much to Graham's amusement.

We finished up and got ready to leave so we could see just a bit more before we had to get off the ship when we hear “Lenora!!!!!” It was the people she had sat by on the plane. Holy cow! What a small world. They seemed really nice and she chatted with them a few minutes and then we headed off.

How nice that you bumped into them.

That looks even scarier than the rock climbing walls on the Royal Caribbean ships.

Being on the ship really made me feel sad I was not sailing this trip. I just love cruising….but I guess if I couldn’t sail…at least touring a ship would be 2nd best.

That is much how I felt on Tuesday.

ep…..I am sure you can see it….The DOOR is right next to it….it is not in its own room.

That is a really strange set up.

And the sink and toilet are across from that….again, the toilet door is NOT solid…it’s that foggy glass…..Um…I like complete privacy when I do my business.

I am with you there. I would not like this at all.

I think we picked up some drinks too and I paid with my debit….and that is the last I ever saw of that card…but I didn’t realize it till days later. My guess is I set it down and it fell in a crack and I never noticed it.

What a pain.

When you take the shuttle and arrive between certain hours, they give you this folder which will have your different package elements in it…tickets, dining vouchers, etc.

That is a really neat touch.

They made it seem like it was but many things were not finished and as I write this it is still opening week and stuff is broken down constantly and the crowds are insane. I am sure they are still working out things and it will get better.

I have heard all kinds of horror stories about this.

We had requested to be near the 3 others who were in a suite, Carol, Pam and Wendy, and Patty had texted us to let us know we were actually in a connecting room …. Yay! Patty said for us to just head to the desk and they would have our keys waiting for us. So we did just that.

That is great that this worked out.

Sapphire Falls has a Caribbean theme.

I think this is a bit of a stretch. I do really like it though. It seems to have a really light and airy feel about it.

I got the quesadilla this time to try something new.

That looks really nice.

Corinna

 

[PoohIsHome]

@jenseib Your NCL haven pics had me like ohhhh a cruise would be so cool and then I remember that whole boat + water / waves =

 

[jenseib]

I know that feeling as well. For some reason I keep get turned around on ships, much to Graham's amusement.

I am usually pretty good, but I have my moments. Things seemed to be in different spots than on most of the ships I have sailed too which made it a bit confusing.

How nice that you bumped into them

Yes, it was such a small world that we saw them amongst thousands of people.

That looks even scarier than the rock climbing walls on the Royal Caribbean ships.

LOL....I am NOT a rock climber. I am doing zipline in St. Kitts on this next cruise. Cass and Jeanne talked me into it. I had a little panic attack about it the other night. But Claire really wants to do it.

That is much how I felt on Tuesday.

It's so hard to get on a ship and then get off without sailing. I have toured the Dream before too and I just wanted to hide and not get off. LOL.

That is a really strange set up.

I am with you there. I would not like this at all.

The rooms like that are deal breakers for me.

What a pain

I don't know if the card was ever found by anyone. I contacted my bank once I realized it and had it cancelled and no charges were ever made, which was good. But it's a pain to have to get a new one. Every time I do it messes up my log in online for some stupid reason and then I have to get that reset.

That is a really neat touch.

People really like these folders and I was glad to finally get one to see exactly how it looked like.

I have heard all kinds of horror stories about this.

They stopped selling express pass for the park because even with that people are only getting on 3-4 rides a day. I hope they get it all worked out.

That is great that this worked out.

Yes, it was nice to be able to all room together for a slightly cheaper price with 3 in a room. We are not snuggly and do not want to sleep together. LOL

I think this is a bit of a stretch. I do really like it though. It seems to have a really light and airy feel about it.

Some parts were more Caribbean themed than others in my opinion. I got used to it but the pictures I saw before going I has the same thought.

That looks really nice.

Mine was good too.

@jenseib Your NCL haven pics had me like ohhhh a cruise would be so cool and then I remember that whole boat + water / waves =

hahahahaha. My sister has issues with motion sickness...much more than me and she has done a few cruises now and has been fine. She takes her meds though and is strict about it.

 

[jenseib]

Feb, 26, 2017, Day 5


I woke up bright and early and decided to take a walk outside and find the laundry facilities so I could wash some of my shorts.


mardi49 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi50 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I was talking to another lady out and about and she said she was doing laundry…I asked her where it was and she said most buildings have them and you walk right by without realizing it as they look like rooms. I found one then easily and went and got my things to be washed.


mardi51 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi52 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi53 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi54 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi55 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi56 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I had brought a little thing of laundry detergent with me, but of course I could not find it, so I just bought some….and found it later of course.


mardi57 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I headed back to the room while it was going….this was the view we had out our door. We just booked a standard view, which put us on the back side of the building.


mardi58 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I got myself ready and cleaned up my area and pushed the bed back so that it would be out of the way.


mardi59 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I guess I did end up taking a few pictures of the room. For some reason I thought I took none.


mardi60 by Jenseib, on Flickr


A few of us headed up to breakfast then.


mardi61 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi62 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi63 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi64 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi65 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi66 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi67 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi68 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi69 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi70 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi71 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I didn’t take a picture and I don’t remember what I got, but it was good and hit the spot.


After breakfast I finished up my laundry and I believe I had thrown it in the dryer before I had gone to breakfast. I then packed back up because we were moving to Sapphire Falls today. Since Cabana Bay is a Value type resort, they do not do luggage transfers, which is kind of a pain because there are a lot of people who like to stay here 1 night before starting their vacation package. Pam had talked to someone last night and they said they would make an exception. We tried calling this morning to have it done and they were giving us a run around….telling us to just roll it over across the street ourselves. At this point we didn’t know there was a bridge crosswalk and we thought they were crazy. Finally we got someone who knew we had been told they would do this and so some of us who were ready went up and took our luggage to the lobby to be transferred over.


Patty, Lenora, and I then went over to Sapphire Falls to get checked in.


mardi5 by Jenseib, on Flickr


It was as we were walking over that we saw the sign pointing to the crosswalk bridge and we then saw it down the road.


We still headed over the dangerous way and then got in line to check in.


mardi72 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi73 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We got checked in and our rooms weren’t ready so we were just going to hang out till the rest arrived so that we could all go together to get checked in for the conference.


I thought I would take a walk outside when I heard my name….it was Brook! Brook had taken a redeye overnight flight from Hawaii! Yep, she had been on vacation with her family and they were flying home yesterday, but when the event was scheduled she decided to just fly to Florida instead. She had been here since the crack of dawn and sadly her room wasn’t ready. Now we had seen she had come in early via messages and a couple of us had told her she could come to our rooms and take a nap or shower but she decided to just wait….and she kept waiting and the room was not ready.


We said our hellos and it was so nice to see her again. If you have read some of my other reports in the past, you know we have done other events and even a girls cruise together once. I got to meet up with her when we visited NYC over Thanksgiving a few years ago and her husband got us into the Amazon building to watch the parade.


I headed out then and took a couple of pictures.


Cabana Bay across the way.


mardi74 by Jenseib, on Flickr


The front of Sapphire Falls.


mardi75 by Jenseib, on Flickr


You can see the new towers being built at Cabana Bay off to the left of this picture.


mardi76 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I was standing near the valet.


mardi77 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Back inside.


mardi78 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I sat down next to Brook and Lenora and Patty were wondering around. It was becoming clear that Brook’s room would not be ready anytime soon so she decided to head to the gym and get a quick shower to just freshen up. She asked me to not to leave till she got back….no problem.


In the meantime I totally lost Lenora. I had no clue where she went, but the rest of the gals all started to wonder in and sat down with us. We chatted and it wasn’t long before Lenora came back…..all checked in. LOL. She said she decided to try and figure out how to get to registration, which is over at Royal Pacific, but Sapphire and Royal are connected by halls and convention centers, so she somehow found her way. We were given a map, but it was pretty worthless.

 

[jenseib]

Brook returned all fresh and she checked her bag at luggage services and then we all headed to the convention center, with Lenora leading the way.


mardi79 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi80 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi81 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi82 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We passed a lot of rooms and some had conventions going on, or preparations for some. Many had tables out with different things, some snacks, some papers, etc. One had a table full of chocolate and we were all wishing it was ours. It had Reeses cups on it! MMMM.


So we kept walking….


mardi83 by Jenseib, on Flickr


And found our registration table. It was so funny as someone mentioned this was where we're to be and those other tables are for other companies….and the snacks and stuff are not for all…..and we turn around to look and there is Pam….with a real guilty look on her face….munching on a Reeses cup. Hahahaha!

Pam is just hysterical all the time and so much fun and it just was perfect and we all cracked up.


We got signed in and our credentials and a back pack and were told to be back at a certain time for our welcome meeting. Sounds good!


mardi84 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We had plans…..and we were heading to City Walk.


mardi6 by Jenseib, on Flickr


There is a walking path, but we took the boat.


mardi7 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi8 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi9 by Jenseib, on Flickr


And this was our destination!


mardi10 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We got off at the boat launch dock and headed that way.

mardi85 by Jenseib, on Flickr

mardi86 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi87 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi88 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We had one stop we wanted to make before heading to Toothsomes….a group picture…and we asked a guy who was there if he would take a picture. He took several, but only one came out where the globe was almost showing the whole Universal name.


mardi11 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We were thankful and then headed on our way.


We got in line for the take out counter and luckily it wasn’t too long…and we made our orders. I think I was first. LOL. But I knew what I wanted and others were looking things over. I got the peanut butter shake. Claire had gotten it last fall and it was so good and I vowed the next time I would get it.


I found some tables and set up for all of us to sit.


mardi12 by Jenseib, on Flickr


One by one everyone made their orders, most ordering shakes but a few ordered other ice-cream delights. It was odd as most of them got theirs pretty fast and mine was one of the last ones made.


mardi13 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I started taking pictures of each concoction while I waited for mine.


mardi15 by Jenseib, on Flickr


And I went up and took a look to see if I was forgotten and a few more pictures.


mardi16 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi17 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi18 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi90 by Jenseib, on Flickr


MMMMM!


mardi91 by Jenseib, on Flickr


This is the ice-cream dish called “must contain nuts” and it is fabulous. Lots of peanut butter things in it. Claire and I also had this in the fall but we could barely make a dent in it. Ours had actually come out sort of melting, like they made it and let it sit a bit before they brought it to us…..it was still good, but this one looked much better. I forget who ordered it, but she loved it.


mardi92 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi94 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Finally mine is ready.



mardi93 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Someone ordered the peanut butter shake without nuts and they got peanut butter cup pieces all the side instead of nuts…I am going to do that next time. I do like nuts but I would prefer more of the cups.


This lady walked by and I asked if we could get a picture…Carol and Pam joined in.


mardi95 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi96 by Jenseib, on Flickr


After I finished up, I went to the bathroom to clean the cup out so I could put it in my bag. I didn’t realize this, but you can ask them to clean the cup for you and they will do so….now I know for next time.


I took a look in the gift shop while others finished up and chatted.


mardi97 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi98 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi99 by Jenseib, on Flickr


And video

And wandered back again.


mardi100 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi101 by Jenseib, on Flickr


After everyone was finished we headed back to Royal Pacific for the welcome meeting. As we passed the Hard Rock Café I saw the sign said Rick Springfield was performing tonight! Oh man! I used to love him in my younger days. He often comes to Toledo for small concerts, but I have never gone, but my sister in law has. I wish I had known he was coming…maybe I would have looked into how much it was and if it would have worked with our schedule.


There were several companies attending this event and we knew some people from some of the other ones, so we said hi and then it was time to settle down and get down to business. It was pretty basic and short. They then told us we would not have an official tour of Sapphire Falls since we are staying there, but anyone who wanted to take a mini tour could do so now and they would take those who wanted to. We decided not to. We were to meet up later in Universal Studios for our dinner party before it was parade time. Fun!


We then got text that our rooms were ready for the majority of us, so we made a stop there and then several of us had plans to do a little park time before our next meet up time.

 

[jenseib]

Lenora and I headed to our room to see what it was like. I had seen pictures when it first opened and I wasn’t too sure….but I was pleasantly surprised.



mardi102 by Jenseib, on Flickr


The rooms look much nicer in person than what I had seen in pictures…but I never liked the mirror.


mardi103 by Jenseib, on Flickr


It needed more light there and the colors around it bothered me. LOL. I think it was an OCD thing, but I didn’t like the different colors and the pattern.



mardi104 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Closet.


mardi105 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi106 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Looking back at the door and hall.


mardi107 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I thought the lamp looked like Charlie Brown.


mardi108 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi109 by Jenseib, on Flickr


And our view….not too bad!


mardi110 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Honestly we were never in the room long enough to really enjoy the view.


mardi111 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi112 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi23 by Jenseib, on Flickr


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Woohooo! This was the blow dryer they had at Hard Rock and it is super awesome!!!


mardi20 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi21 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi22 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Our room number.


mardi24 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We then went down and took some pictures of the pool while we waited to meet up with the rest of the gang.


mardi114 by Jenseib, on Flickr


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mardi25 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mardi26 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We met up with Michelle, Brook, and Wendy and took the boat over to the parks. Lenora, I believe, was going to do some exploring on her own as this was her first time ever at Universal. The other 3 had wanted to go see the make-up show and I decided I would too. It was something that none of us have ever seen, but is a hidden gem and many people say it’s really great.


mardi123 by Jenseib, on Flickr