Our "Perfect Meal" On Carnival Cruise Line - What Are Our Favorite Things To Eat? - ParoDeeJay

Our "Perfect Meal" On Carnival Cruise Line - What Are Our Favorite Things To Eat? - ParoDeeJay

Today, we're talking about one of our favorite topics... cruise food! Join us as we delve into the world of Carnival Cruise Line dining, and select our top picks for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and dessert... woohoo!! :D

Port Guide: Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve - What We Think You Should Know Before You Go! - ParoDeeJay

Port Guide: Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve - What We Think You Should Know Before You Go! - ParoDeeJay

Looking to explore MSC Cruise Line's new private island destination, Ocean Cay? Welcome to our Port Guide series! Join is as we share our personal experiences, let you know what to see and do inside the cruise port, showcase some ship excursions, and let you know if it's possible to have a fun day on the cheap. We'll be talking beaches, snorkeling, shopping, lighthouse shows, beach parties, and all sorts of shenanigans in the port of Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve Bahamas... let's do this thing!! :D

2/24/2020 - Live From Fort Lauderdale - Episode Two

2/24/2020 - Live From Fort Lauderdale - Episode Two

MSC Armonia: A Day-By-Day Live Journal - February 2020

Here's a collection of my musings while sailing on the MSC Armonia in February 2020... to follow along with these in real-time, be sure to join our Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parodeejay/

DAY ONE
First impressions of the Armonia... she’s smaller and older, but looks well-maintained. Gives you sort of a vintage cruise nostalgic feeling. Lunch buffet was surprisingly solid (I selected stroganoff, curry rice, shredded chicken, beef roast, and a few other things) and MDR dinner was good as well. Gelato is free with four rotating flavors each day. Muster drill was not as painful as I had feared and once all the passengers finally showed up, we were done in about five minutes. Staff is beyond amazing and entertaining, engaging with the audience constantly and getting folks involved. Main theater show talent was fantastic, with their vocals and dancing. The onstage scenery and costumes were simple, but the talent made the show worth seeing. Sound mixing was excellent, and the music didn’t overpower the vocals. Cabin size of a standard interior is smaller than average but not terrible, and storage is adequate. Hard sided suitcases did not fit under the bed, and ended up in the closet. The shower needs to be destroyed and never spoken of again, although I became more than good friends with the shower curtain. They have two nice-sized 6’ pools, plus two kiddie pools and two hot tubs. All things considered, based on day one, I think we’re gonna like it here!! :P

DAY TWO
MSC Armonia Day 2. Breakfast in the MDR was okay, but we weren’t a fan of the scrambled eggs. Methinks they could be powdered? Everything else was tasty. Sea day has loads of unique activities, tons of dance classes, and lots of things going on outside. The ship has SO much outside space and it’s easy to feel connected to the ocean, which is a plus for us. Pizza is hands down the best I’ve had at sea, although it’s not 24 hours. Chocolate cake in the steakhouse is the best Dee has had, land or sea. The theater show was a French revue with a touch of Cirque, and the strength acts and dancers continue to dazzle. Gelato is still free, though the flavors didn’t change from yesterday. We still don’t discuss the shower. Just don’t. The staff continues to engage folks and get them involved in everything. The cruise director gave a fantastic talk today about how MSC sometimes gets a bad rap, and folks may not understand the difficulty in operating out of the US while still providing entertainment and cuisine that’s thoughtful toward their worldwide clientele. It’s definitely a unique feel... you won’t be doing the wobble or cupid shuffle at the deck parties, but if you jump in with a little salsa and rumba flavor, you can party the night away!! :P

DAY THREE
MSC Armonia Day 3. Montego Bay started out as a maddening blur of delays, crowds, and confusing expensive taxis, but ended with a very pleasant beach day at the Hard Rock Cafe. Many sea creatures were seen. As for ship life, we’ve had the shower permanently removed from the cabin, in favor of spraying ourselves with Febreze twice a day. Breakfast in the dining room was solid, with Dee opting for hard boiled eggs (even though they arrived medium boiled at best). Dance classes in the Jamaica heat are very fun but very hot, as one would expect. We opted for lunch in the MDR, and both my Spanish-themed quiche appetizer and good ol’ American burger were super solid. Dinner in the MDR was hit or miss... Dee’s guacamole app was nice but the chips were stale. Her fish entree was overcooked and dry. My Jamaican beef dish was tasty but the cuts of meat were fatty. There was a nice rum cake dessert, but they applied a slightly overwhelming chocolate frosting, which we removed so as to actually taste the rum cake. Not a terrible meal by any means; but our least favorite overall dinner thus far. The evening show was an Addams Family themed show and once again, the strength acts and a unicycle-riding juggler stole the show for me. Even the CD announced that it was a bizarre show, but promised we would be entertained, and we were. One thing we’ve realized is there are no comedy shows onboard, but I imagine it would be difficult to gear comedy toward such a diverse audience. The staff continues to be phenomenal and we are definitely enjoying that retro small ship familial feeling.

DAY FOUR
MSC Armonia Day 4. Our excursion in Grand Cayman was canceled so we had a super relaxing ship day. We were only in port from 8am-1pm, so we opted not to secure a replacement tour. The ship was abandoned, so we soaked up some sun in the glorious 6’ deep pool and the whirlpool. Breakfast pizza from the buffet is a must-try, though it’s simply a cheese pizza with the addition of a fried egg yolk on each slice. Their tomato sauce is mighty tasty though, and I’d love to see a ham or sausage option for breakfast. (Maybe they do rotate and we just haven’t seen it yet.) Lunch came from the grill section of the buffet, and their burger is pretty solid. The patty was thick, well cooked, beefy, and not dried out. Fries were simple but delicious. They also had grilled chorizo sausage, which was a pleasant surprise. It tasted a bit like pepperoni and I was tempted to put some in my pocket for later, but decided that would be a bad idea. We continued the relaxation theme into the rest of the day, spending much time outside-ing. The ship has so many wide open outdoor spaces for lounging, eating, and being at one with the ocean. Dance classes and live music rule the daily schedule, but there are a high number of fun poolside games and activities that we’ve never seen anywhere else. Dinner service in the MDR was lightning fast. Dee’s caprese was on point, and they offered olive oil and extra balsamic to drizzle. The asparagus in my app was overcooked, but the hollandaise was the best I’ve tasted in a long time. Entrees were strong with Dee opting for rigatoni & meatballs, while I had braised short ribs plus probably the best Indian dish I’ve ever had at sea. When I told the headwaiter how good the curry was, he offered to go to parts unknown to locate some chicken curry that wasn’t even on the menu, normally reserved for Indian guests. It. Was. Phenomenal!! Dessert was also very good, with the highlight being the opera cake. Super chocolate goodness. As usual, there’s a show every evening (yep, they do a different themed stage show every single night), and tonight’s theme was rock & roll. No aerial acts, no silks, no hoops, no strength acts... just song and dance. The hits rolled through The Beatles, Elvis, and Queen, among others, and the vocalists were quite strong. The evening party usually happens inside one of the bars, but has moved out to the pool deck for white night. I plan to speak with guest services to see if we can have a 6’ deep pool installed in our cabin to replace the shower that we had removed. Pretty sure our impromptu ship day has been one of our favorite days so far!! :P

DAY FIVE
MSC Armonia Day 5. Our day in Costa Maya found us at Maya Chan, which is a funky little all-inclusive beach club we discovered via CruiseTipsTV. Super chill, laid back, and uncrowded, as there were only two ships in port. We arrived at 11am and the folks from the NCL Getaway were leaving at 1pm, so we basically had the place to ourselves. The snorkeling was hit or miss, but the food, drinks, and service were amazing. Each party got a covered area with loungers, day bed, and hammock. We were greeted with a welcome drink, plus chips with salsa & guacamole. Lunch was an awesome buffet spread of beef, chicken, fish, and pork for tacos, plus rice & beans. All sorts of water toys, snorkeling gear, and lockers were included, as well as taxi fare to and from the port. For $59/pp, this is definitely our new hotspot in Costa Maya, hah... one of our favorite beach club experiences! We spent the entire day ashore, but in ship life, breakfast in the MDR was solid. Dinner was an Italian-themed menu and as you would imagine, they did it up right! Calamari, arancini, ossobuco, tiramisu... everything was pretty near perfect. My new friend brought me a fish curry as promised, which was also very good. The evening show was also Italian-themed. As we entered the theater, a fellow guest who had just seen the show said that it gave him goosebumps at some points. The four vocalists shined as they powered their way through an array of Italian classics. After the show, the entertainment continued in the main theater with a staff variety show. Our steward informed me that the new 6’ deep pool we had installed in our cabin bathroom is proving too difficult to clean, so he closed it down and put a net across it for now. I’ve considered taking “birdbaths” in the toilet, but every time I get close to the thing, it activates and eats my washcloth. Those things are like $20 a pop, so I won’t make that mistake a twelfth time...

DAY SIX
MSC Armonia Day 6. We rock and rolled through the night, as it seems we were passing through a cold front. Not terrible, but the smaller, older ships usually come with less stabilization and more motion. Breakfast in the MDR was solid. We intended to spend the morning on the Top 13 Solarium (basically an upcharge “Serenity” deck), as MSC had gifted us two passes, but it was closed due to high winds. Maybe we can check it out tomorrow while we’re in Ocean Cay. The activity schedule was full of things both inside and out, and we spent the morning on the pool deck with games and dance classes. Lunch brought us back to the pizza buffet followed by a trip to the gelato station, both of which were again fantastic. We spent our afternoon catching up on work and napping. :P Our post-nap adventures took us to MasterChef At Sea, followed by a loyalty party (we status matched into) with the most potent drinks in the history of the universe. Seriously... two rum sours and you’ll probably be on the floor. I had four. Don’t do it. Just don’t. Dinner was solid again, including another special chicken curry dish from my headwaiter friend. Dee had a salad with some amazing dressing, as well as a pasta dish. I had spanakopita plus a salmon dish crafted by an award-winning chef. The rocking of the ship caused them to cancel the evening show, which relied heavily on the strength & balancing acts, but they postponed it until tomorrow. The staff jumped into action, adding a movie to the indoor theater as well as a name-that-movie-tune game with the cruise staff in one of the bars to fill the void. We stopped by the buffet right at the end of dinner service for some snacks and desserts, and everything we tasted was great. Meatloaf, curry chickpeas, brussels sprouts. The brownie stack rivaled the cake from the specialty restaurant as Dee’s favorite chocolate dessert at sea! The captain informed me that their sonar located the wreckage of our cabin shower on the ocean floor as we passed back by Cuba, even though I was certain I tossed it overboard in a spot where it could never be found. The recovery efforts begin tonight...

DAY SEVEN
MSC Armonia Day 7. We snagged a quick breakfast in the dining room and watched the ship coming into their private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. The cruise director had a seminar explaining that the island just opened in December and we would be seeing it in its infancy. Baby palm trees, freshly planted plants, not much in the way of shade yet. The island and the surrounding water are gorgeous. The snorkeling was basically zero on the two beaches we tried. Lunch from the buffet was delicious and ranged from things like burgers and dogs to jerk chicken and ribs. They also have included food trucks with vegan options, which we didn’t get to taste. There’s a tram around the island and we rode it for one full loop at the end of the day before returning to the ship. Overall impression of the island is that it’s beautiful and we can’t wait to see what it grows into in the future. The only real negatives are a lack of clear navigation signs and map boards to help you find your way. There are a few, but more would be helpful. Also, we didn’t see any sort of footwash on the island, but perhaps we just missed it. One other positive note: there are bathrooms everywhere! You can’t turn a corner without finding one, hah... it’s super nice. Onboard, we made one last stop for pizza and cookies, which are both beyond amazing. We finally made it up to the upcharge Deck 13 Solarium for a breathtaking view of the island, and we saw a school of fish and a baby stingray at the one beach we didn’t snorkel. Psssh. There are no water features at the solarium, but it seems nice for sun-seekers who want some quiet time. We hit dinner as soon as they opened our dining room at 6:00pm, in an attempt to make the one-and-only show at 7:15pm before the island festivities started at 8:00pm. Dinner had its highs and lows... Dee’s appetizer salad was overdressed but tasty. Her shrimp cocktail was disappointing, with mealy shrimp. My cod croquettes were solid though. My headwaiter buddy brought some butter chicken that was out of this world! I’m still trying to see if we can bring him and the Indian chef home with us somehow. The normal menu entrees were decent, but Dee described the texture of her chicken as “foodservice chicken”, hah... it tasted good but it had a soft-ish, strange texture. Desserts were pretty dang good though. After dinner, we headed up for part of the “Abyss” show, which was focused on the strength acts, contortionists, etc. After that, it was outside time for a spirited Junkanoo parade on the island, a LED light show on the lighthouse, and a beach party straight out of Ibiza! We got back to the cabin to find that the shower had been reassembled and reinstalled, which is a pity for the next guest... at least it gave me one more chance to film a feature segment all about the joys of experiencing its majesty... coming soon to a screen near you!! :P

THE END
MSC Armonia: The End. Debarkation was one of the fastest ever. We weren’t in a hurry, so we waited until about 8:00am, caught a quick elevator down, and walked straight off with virtually no line. Customs was also a quick walk-through with no line. Amazing! Once outside, we knew to head to the rental car pickup area, but two other vendors tried to talk us into taking their shuttle and/or guiding us to the wrong zone. Weirdos. But that’s not MSC’s fault, hah... Final thoughts: we loved our MSC experience. It’s a good bit different from the mainstream American experience and that’s a lot of what we liked. There’s so much live music, culture, dancing, varied cuisines, and most of it is fantastic. You’ll have a few hit or misses, but that’s to be expected with any land or sea vacation. My only real drawback was that silly shower, but I was able to use it for seven days without going crazy. Would we sail MSC again? We’re already trying to figure out when we can sneak one in. Would we sail the Armonia again? We would. The staff was beyond amazing. The food overall was strong, especially the pizza, pasta, gelato, and Indian food. The shows were good but I can see how folks say they get repetitive quickly. But hey, seven nights of shows? Sign us up. There’s no comedy shows. The bread at dinner is never warm. The main theater feels a bit like a school auditorium. There are tons of small things you could pick on, but overall... we had a blast, and can’t wait to do it again!! :D

~Jay

Quick Tips: Camp Ocean - Carnival Cruise Line Youth & Teen Program - How Does It Work? - ParoDeeJay

Quick Tips: Camp Ocean - Carnival Cruise Line Youth & Teen Program - How Does It Work? - ParoDeeJay

In today's quick tips video, we're delving into the world of Camp Ocean, which is Carnival Cruise Line's program for kids & teens. Let's discuss what it includes, how much it costs, who can use it, what hours it runs, and a whole lot more... happy cruising!! :D

Chicken Fajita Salad - Inspired By Our Favorite Mexican Restaurant - Foodie Friday #26 - ParoDeeJay

Chicken Fajita Salad - Inspired By Our Favorite Mexican Restaurant - Foodie Friday #26 - ParoDeeJay

We're in the kitchen for Foodie Friday time again, and we're taking some inspiration from our favorite local Mexican joint! They serve a healthified version of fajitas that eliminates the tortillas and turns the whole thing into a salad, so we thought... let's try that at home.. let's do this!! :D

Port Guide: Barbados - Everything We Think You Should Know Before You Go! - ParoDeeJay

Port Guide: Barbados - Everything We Think You Should Know Before You Go! - ParoDeeJay

Looking to explore Bridgetown, Barbados? Welcome to our Port Guide series! Join is as we share our personal experiences, let you know what to see and do inside the cruise port, showcase some ship excursions, highlight a few hotspots you can explore outside the cruise port, and let you know if it's possible to have a fun day on the cheap. We'll be talking beaches, snorkeling, pirate ships, turtles, and all sorts of shenanigans in the port of Barbados... let's do this thing!! :D

Quick Tips: Carnival Journeys Cruises - What Makes Them Special & How Can You Find One? - ParoDeeJay

Quick Tips: Carnival Journeys Cruises - What Makes Them Special & How Can You Find One? - ParoDeeJay

In today's quick tips video, a slightly out-of-focus Jay is delving into the world of Carnival Journeys cruises. Let's discuss what makes them different, what special events can you only find on this type of cruise, and how you can book one of your own... happy cruising!! :D More Info: https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3936 Sailings: https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3939

Carnival Specialty Restaurant Menus & Food Photos - Sunshine Journeys Cruise Dec 2019 - ParoDeeJay

Carnival Specialty Restaurant Menus & Food Photos - Sunshine Journeys Cruise Dec 2019 - ParoDeeJay

Here's a collection of all our photos from the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Cucina Del Capitano, and JiJi Asian Kitchen... let's explore the food we had for dinner each night, the menus, and more from our sailing aboard the Carnival Sunshine out of Charleston in December 2019... woohoo!! Find our Carnival Sunshine cruise vlogs here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbURfqJTql-wf8db03Jb7bE6xfslQpaPC These menus should be the same fleet-wide, and you can find some of these restaurants on other ships such as the Carnival Panorama, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Vista, Carnival Breeze, Carnival Conquest, and a whole lot more...

2/12/2020 - Live From Fort Lauderdale - Episode One

2/12/2020 - Live From Fort Lauderdale - Episode One

Carnival Sunshine Journeys Cruise Fun Times - Daily Schedules & Activity Guides - ParoDeeJay

Carnival Sunshine Journeys Cruise Fun Times - Daily Schedules & Activity Guides - ParoDeeJay

Voiceover Jay is back with the scoop on the Carnival Fun Times daily activity & event guides from our November 2019 sailing aboard the Carnival Pride out of Baltimore. Here are the schedule scans from each day of our 14-Day Southern Caribbean Journeys cruise itinerary, with Jay reading through and highlighting various events and activities that caught our eye on our cruise. Huzzah!! If you'd like to download a PDF version of these Fun Times, here's a link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EASf5oWxNF2tT9aRhGLrLCITCtobykjY Find our Carnival Sunshine cruise vlogs here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbURfqJTql-wf8db03Jb7bE6xfslQpaPC

Carnival Sunshine Ship Tour - Our Narrated Video Tour With Deck Plans - December 2019 - ParoDeeJay

Carnival Sunshine Ship Tour - Our Narrated Video Tour With Deck Plans - December 2019 - ParoDeeJay

Here's our narrated video ship tour for the Carnival Sunshine, recorded on our December 2019 sailing to the Southern Caribbean out of Charleston... Join us as we wander the main public decks, with rambling commentary from Voiceover Jay about all of the stuff and things!! :D Find our Carnival Sunshine cruise vlogs here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbURfqJTql-wf8db03Jb7bE6xfslQpaPC

2/7/2020 - Live From The Mariner Of The Seas... Maybe...

2/7/2020 - Live From The Mariner Of The Seas... Maybe...

Farro & Lentil Stew - Do You Have Turmeric In Your Spice Rack?! - Foodie Friday #25 - ParoDeeJay

Farro & Lentil Stew - Do You Have Turmeric In Your Spice Rack?! - Foodie Friday #25 - ParoDeeJay

We're in the kitchen again for Foodie Friday time, and we're dealing with a spice that I frequently find in my spice cabinet and never find enough uses for... turmeric! Let's mix up a big ol' pot of stew involving farro, lentils, and of course... turmeric... let's do this!! :D

Port Guide: St. Kitts - Everything We Think You Should Know Before You Go! - ParoDeeJay

Port Guide: St. Kitts - Everything We Think You Should Know Before You Go! - ParoDeeJay

Looking to explore Bassaterre, St. Kitts? Welcome to our Port Guide series! Join is as we share our personal experiences, let you know what to see and do inside the cruise port, showcase some ship excursions, highlight a few hotspots you can explore outside the cruise port, and let you know if it's possible to have a fun day on the cheap. We'll be talking beautiful views, beaches, fortresses, sea urchins, trains, and all sorts of shenanigans in the port of St. Kitts... let's do this thing!! :D

FantasyPainting Instagram Shoutout - We Got The Perfect Disney Gift For Dee's Sister!! - ParoDeeJay

FantasyPainting Instagram Shoutout - We Got The Perfect Disney Gift For Dee's Sister!! - ParoDeeJay

As soon as we started planning a family vacay to Disney World, Dee knew she wanted to get something special made for her sister. We found FantasyPainting on Instagram making all the cutest custom handpainted items, and she crafted up the perfect gift! :D

Find FantasyPainting on the Instagram machine:
https://www.instagram.com/fantasypainting/

Streaming Sunday - 2/2/2020 Edition - Live From Port Canaveral!!

Streaming Sunday - 2/2/2020 Edition - Live From Port Canaveral!!

It's Sunday, so it must be stream day! Let's talk about a whole lot of nothing, as usual! :D