Photo TR: A "Scare-ibbean" October with TPR '11

Discovery Cove looks amazing and is definitely on my "must do" list. Thanks Scott!

Have said it before, saying it again: Discovery Cove looks super-freaking mega-awesome. Has to be built into my next trip to Orlando. The shots of you two with the dolphin are incredible.

(BTW, read/heard somewhere not too long ago that dolphins are the only other animal that have sex for simply for pleasure. Which is just one more reason that they kick ass nonstop and worldwide.)

To quote a certain someone, "You're welcome." We're honored to be your first "TPR guests." Do we receive a plaque or a monument at the park for that?

I don't have that much power there yet!

Thanks again, guys.

Discovery Cove looks super-freaking mega-awesome.

This is a fairly accurate description.

Aquatica

Along with our admission to Discovery Cove, we were able to select another Busch park to enjoy for 14 consecutive days. This one was tough, but since we hadn't been there yet, Aquatica won out.

If you're looking for a water park that teases you with some great integrated theming in places, and then seems to feel like "any other water park, USA" in others, Aquatica is your place! It's sort of like a hybrid of the Disney parks and Wet 'N Wild.

Busch did a lot right with this place - the unique dolphin exhibit, the collection of slides, the "speed river" (or whatever it's called, the beaches, the food - it's all quality stuff. To me, it just seems to be missing that certain something I can't quite put my finger on. Don't get me wrong, it's still an excellent park, and we had a really good day there!

Pictures....

Ticket booths!!!

Yay, we're here!

It's just $5.00 for a "regular size" locker for the day (after the refund following key return).

We were lucky to catch this shortly after we entered the park and got our l.o.c.k.e.r.

"I love dolphins.....and Wildcats!"

And speaking of dolphins, you all know about this by now.

Oh sure, they "look" good.

They even looked great on the promotional material.

Even this guy seems to like it.

But they suck. End of story.

These don't suck though. Commerson's Dolphins are awesome!

The "training session" basically consisted of three trainers coming out and taking the dolphins through a set of commands. Personally, I enjoyed it more than an actual "show."

And you were literally right next to the tank as well.

"Gimme my food, woman!"

"Ow, WTF?!"

"Do it again, I'll pop a cap in yo a$$, beyotch."

Ya know, this would probably work better if we had the patience to wait for a dolphin to come by. Oh well.

I think this was the main gift shop?

A portion of the lazy river....being lazy.

I think this was the only slide we missed that day. The line was fairly long, and since the wind was a bit chilly after you got out the water, we skipped it. We've been on a toilet bowl before, so no biggie.

Is there anyone who actually doesn't like these "speed rivers"? They kick arse!

I'm not a life vest kind of person, so we went in without 'em the first time. I decided to try one out the second time around, and was surprised what a difference it made. I definitely recommend wearing one for this.

We didn't eat here, but it looked good.

And the prices seemed reasonable.

Map.

This idea really works well for the park.

Oops, I just realized we missed this one too. :/

We did the other one though, and it was really good.

I'm just gonna be "caption lazy" for a while...

But I will say that these are the best racers I've been on yet. That drop is full of awesome.

I like that the place had a HUGE beach area with plenty of chairs.

Kiddie slides.

They had two wave pools. This one had bigger waves, I think.

These were pretty fun.

Okay, I gotta take a minute and address something here. If there are any water park designers reading this, I'm just gonna suggest maybe not using yellow grating under the water again. You...um...see what I'm getting at here, right?

Back to the slides. The blue one had a great ending, with a good pop of air.

I think we ate here, but I honestly can't remember what I had.

There was fire though.

And whatever I had was good. I do remember that (for what it's worth).

Anyway, that's Aquatica, folks!

Ahh, see......I told you.

^Seems legit

Btw. I wasn't aware Shannon went to school in England.

Go CATS !!!!

but otherwise again I agree, very nice trip report but Aquatica isn't anything special some very nice theming and some very ordinary slides. I still think Wet N Wild is the best water park in Orlando.

Looks like Aquatica offers better food options than Water Country in Williamsburg (and has lusher landscaping). Food has always been a problem at Sea World (never had a decent meal there). I agree with you about "speed river" attractions--I could float around in one of those all day.

More nice shots! And re: the yellow grating, shouldn't all toilet bowl slides should feature that? /immaturity.

I didn't see what the big deal with dolphin plunge was either. I didn't see anything in that tube and the slide leading up to it was too short. The action river there is awesome though. I could grab a life jacket and float in there all day if I let myself.

^ Yeah, I could've easily spent most of the afternoon in the river.

Btw. I wasn't aware Shannon went to school in England.

Hehe, well played.

Aquatica isn't anything special some very nice theming and some very ordinary slides.

Yeah, it's interesting about the "ordinary slides." For overall thrills, I think I'd agree that Wet 'N Wild has the advantage over them all. Still, after visiting all the Central Florida water parks now, I always wish I could take Typhoon Lagoon and add certain elements from each of the others to combine the perfect park.

More nice shots! And re: the yellow grating, shouldn't all toilet bowl slides should feature that? /immaturity

Thank you, sir. Good point about the toilet bowl.

Looks like Aquatica offers better food options than Water Country in Williamsburg (and has lusher landscaping). Food has always been a problem at Sea World (never had a decent meal there).

Interesting to hear, Chuck. I've always thought Sea World offered pretty decent food options. Nothing "OMG amazing," but definitely above average. But yeah, we thought Aquatica definitely had some pretty good stuff to eat. This also made me think, I'd like to try the Luau at Sea World once. Has anyone out there ever done that? Thoughts?

And also, up next we start cruisin'!! Stay tuned.

Freedom of the Seas - Western Caribbean Cruise

First off, a BIG thank you goes out to Robb and Elissa. Your tireless planning and consideration for everyone in the group was greatly appreciated!! As cruise virgins, we couldn't have picked a better one to start out on, and we're glad to have shared it with you all. And by the way, we're hooked now!

The only tough thing about a group that large is that when you're meeting many of them for the first time in person, you wish you could spend more time and get to know everyone a bit more. Unfortunately we only got to see some of you several times in passing, but it was certainly a pleasure meeting you!

As for the cruise itself, where does one begin? I grew up near the beach and spent a lot of time working on and around yachts, so the ocean is nothing new to me. Still, this ship blew us both away. It's honestly pretty tough to put it all into words. There's simply always something to do on board. You name it, from the activities, to the gym, the Promenade, the sports deck, the pools, the bars, the ice rink, the theater, the casino, etc. etc.......if you couldn't keep yourself busy, then you probably just don't have a pulse.

Oh, and that's not even mentioning the food. I hope you all appreciate this report, because it's a bit painful to go through the pics and remind myself of sitting in the Windjammer or Sorrento's, instead of here at my desk.

Besides the friends we'd get to meet, the ports of call, and the great excursions we had lined up, there was a bonus "mission" of sorts for me. I'm a Jimmy Buffett fan, and I make no apologies for it. It's a product of my environment growing up, and it's the music I love. Because of that, it was pretty enticing to try and log a handful of Margaritaville "credits" along the way. In total, there was a distinct possibility of four, with a slim chance of it being five - Orlando, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and two in Montego Bay...one of which was a small location at the neighboring airport.

I've obviously been to Margaritaville at Universal City Walk many times, but it can still be checked off this time too since I had a drink there before HHN.

So anyway, with all that established, let's cast off and sail towards our first destination....Labadee, Haiti! After the "sail away" meet in the TPR suite, we relaxed a bit and got ready for our first group dinner that evening. Following that, I think we basically just roamed around the ship and got accustomed to our surroundings. Was this also the night Adam secured his legacy as "Finish that verse" champ? If so, I expect to see the gold medal again, Adam.

The next day was a day at sea. I'll take that opportunity to show some random shots from around the ship. Enjoy.

Welcome aboard!

I see you, TPR suite.

Howdy, neighbor.

And hello, Aquaduck.

The ship also had an official magic show in the Arcadia theater.

We had an interior room, as we figured we'd be spending more time out and about. It may seem small in the pictures, but it had plenty of space for the two of us. Next time we'll probably go with a balcony though.

Shannon looks over the room service door hangers. You just fill out your order for the next morning along with when you'd like it to arrive. Just hang it on your door before you go to sleep and you're set!

These touch screen directories were great. About the only thing it couldn't do was serve you a drink. Royal Caribbean, look into it please. Thanks.

The highlighted area is the Windjammer's location (the ship's huge buffet restaurant). It was so nice to sit in here at any time of the day, look out at the sea, stuff your face, and just relax.

The aforementioned Windjammer.

And another look at it.

I have absolutely no complaints about the food or service here.

So let's step outside and take a look around the ship, shall we? Of course, it's only natural to start at the bow, which is right up this way.

This portion of the report is brought to you by the letter "H."

You could just sit around and admire the eighth letter of the alphabet, or you could continue on to....

....the bow!

You're now at the bow of the fourth largest cruise ship in the world!

No, I promise this was NOT an attempt at "that."

It's just to show you how incredibly windy it was up there. The wind is literally holding her up.

Okay, lets head back down before we get blown away. I think it's pretty safe to say Royal Caribbean won't turn around for us.

Davit #36.

You're welcome.

Shuffleboard in underrated. It should take the place of the NBA.

"Salt air, it ain't thin. It'll stick right to your skin....make ya feel fine." -Tin Cup Chalice, Jimmy Buffett

FACT: Col. Charles "Chappy" Sinclair is the Godmother of the ship.

A look at the Royal Promenade. Literally.

Or you could just kick back and take it all in here on deck 6.

I'm not a big DreamWorks fan, but it's nice to see something for the kids.

I'm not sure what happened to the interior shots of this. It's their "English pub."

Some upcharge ice cream for ya.

Sorry it's not Starbucks, Bob.

It was a nice place to chill though.

And Shan approved of the coffee, which is important.

And I approved of this, so it was all good. No need for mutiny.

Hey, you could buy a watch.

Or a Lamborghini.......watch.

Random clothing store.

"The King Ad-rock that is my name,

And you're drinking Moet we got the champagne."

There was no keeper....

...but there was this...

...and this. That'll work.

This was one of the very few let-downs. There was one poker table, and it had those stupid electronic screens. FAIL. RCCL, seriously, if ever other table game had real chips and cards, then why not the poker table? I'm still a bit confused over that.

The main dining room. TPR was on the lower level, way off out of view to the right.

The ship's karaoke bar.

On the weekend there was plenty of football shown in here.

And there may have been a rousing rendition of Outkast's "Ms. Jackson" performed here. I'm not at liberty to confirm or deny that though.

Library. Yay?

Amazingly, I think we walked right past this place all week up until Friday and didn't even know it was there.

It was a lounge themed to Montu. Who would've thunk it?

Stepping back outside, we find the sports deck. Roger Waters had nothing to do with this.

While we both accomplished the climb to the top and rang the bell, there is no photographic evidence of this. That's because I'm an idiot. After I repelled down, I rushed to grab the camera and catch Shannon ringing the bell. Unfortunately, in my haste, I failed to realize the camera was set to film in pretty much candlelight settings. Obviously this did not work well in the blazing sun. =( Also, the wall was more intimidating than I expected...but huge fun!

Mini golf!

"Damn you, rug!"

There will be more to come of this later in the week. For now, here's a daytime look at the awesomeness that is the Flowrider.

There's definitely more to look at, but up next we'll be pulling into Labadee for some coaster and ziplining goodness! As always, any and all comments are welcomed.

Reference FTW!

I hate you.

^Found this gem in the dark of CoasterTube.

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=MVI_2865_prxu[/coastertube]

The video poker machines are confusing to me as well. Do table poker games really make a lot of money for other casinos as compared to table games like Blackjack and Craps? The only reason I could see they would make them electronic is if it's a profit issue.

I am digging the Beastie Boys reference. Cannot wait for more!!!

I think you have finally acheived a good balance on your pictures!

Discovery Cove looks absolutely amazing. LOVE the dolphin pictures! Can't wait to see the rest of the cruise!

I hate you.

William - Brilliant! Thanks for digging that up, Adam.

Joe - Thanks. There's a decent chance I'll drop another reference somewhere along the line.

Bob - I try my best.

Brandy - Thanks!

The video poker machines are confusing to me as well. Do table poker games really make a lot of money for other casinos as compared to table games like Blackjack and Craps? The only reason I could see they would make them electronic is if it's a profit issue.

I believe that's basically it...a profit issue. All they offered were Hold 'em tournaments with $50-100 buy-ins leading up to a final table at the end of the cruise for a grand prize (a cruise on the Allure?). Without ongoing ring games, the house can't take a consistent rake. Therefore, I guess they're just taking the cheap way out and streamlining things as best as possible. To me, it's bush league. To them, it's about the bottom line I suppose. Makes sense, but still sucks.

We should be pulling into Labadee sometime today....

This makes me horribly depressed, I want to be back on the boat! On the other hand, it's a great TR so far, keep up the good work. It was also really nice meeting both you and Shannon and hanging out for the bits that we had.

^ Thanks, Hector. We definitely had a great time meeting and hanging out with you too!

"Ladies....................................................................and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking."

Day 3 of the cruise brought us to our first port of call - Labadee, Haiti; or as I like to call it, "manufactured Haiti." Labadee is Royal Caribbean's "private island resort area" (more like peninsula, really), and is chock full of awesome. We arrived at 8:00am, and had to be back on board by 4:30pm. Elissa's plan had us doing the coaster first thing in the morning, killing some time for awhile, then attacking the zipline, while others would follow up that with a waverunner tour.

Although we skipped the waverunners in favor of a golden opportunity to relax on the beach and forget the world for awhile, the other two excursions were definitely worth it!

Dragon's Tail Coaster: This was my first "mountain coaster" experience, and it didn't disappoint. Before my run I caught up with Dan, who probably had the best advice possible when he said, "just keep it wide open the whole time." I think I tapped the brakes once just to take in the cliffside view, but that was it. The rest of the time I flew through the course. Bottom line, the world needs more of these.

Dragon's Breath Zipline - The world's longest zipline (over water) : Ever since Robb posted his original POV video of this, I had been salivating at the chance to try it out. The "test run" zipline had a pretty violent snap ending to it, but it got me amped for the main event. After our treacherous, pimped out Land Rover ride up the mountain and past the AK-47-wielding guards, it was time to strap in and fly. While it certainly looks rather intimidating perched way up on the hillside, the height is almost a bit deceptive....at least to me anyway.

The view, the speed, and the authentic "Soarin' moment" over the waves was a pretty good rush (take that, stupid Soarin'). While I didn't kick one like Chuck did, I did get my arse slapped a bit by one (although I doubt there's a picture of it). Was it worth $85? Heck yeah....once. I doubt I'd run back right away for a second run at that price, but you never know. It was pretty darn fun.

The lunch was a BBQ meal provided by the ship, and it was average at best. The rest of our time on the island was spent at a leisurely pace. We did a little shopping in the Artisan Market/Village and then staked out a place on Columbus Beach, which was home to the "water park," offered as a $15/person upcharge excursion.

Although the Village certainly had its share of "pushy" vendors, I'm definitely not one to complain when you consider the plight of the island's inhabitants. It's their livelihood, and if I was in their situation I'd probably have a sense of urgency to sell as many goods as possible too. We definitely felt the need to contribute as much as we could by purchasing what we could. And there's nothing wrong with that. I only wish we could have done more. Perhaps a mission trip in the future?

Overall, we LOVED Labadee. On a side note, my years of working around Haitians in South Florida gave me the golden opportunity to use the only Creole phrase I've ever retained, so yay for delayed payoffs!

Eh, I guess that's not a bad sight to wake up to.

That's not an eery fog rolling in. That's the camera lens' effect from walking out of air conditioning and into 400% humidity.

A quick look down into the Solarium - the "adult only" pool.

A look over the port side at one of the two cantilevered hot tubs. These were AWESOME. We spent over two hours there one night. They were the absolute perfect temperature, and they allowed you to brings drinks into them as well.

Azipod propulsion, ACTIVATE!

Look alive, gentleman. There's only 154,407 gross tonnage about to tap those fenders.

The Haitian coastline is beautiful.

But let's be honest, if I hadn't told you that was Haiti, you'd really have no idea. It could be Isla Sorna for all you know.

We managed to be some of the first people off the ship. I don't know how this happened.

Haitian law requires this shot be taken.

"Tuesday on the island,

There's not much going on,

The parties are all over,

They ended just past dawn.."

- "Coconut Telegraph" - Jimmy Buffett

TPR doing what it does best....heading to the coaster.

The island had these helpful signs posted all over the place.

Hmm, that's not as I imagined it would be. I guess I was expecting a slightly longer course....maybe with a safer ending too.

The ladies of TPR are ready to ride.....the coaster.

All man.

"Now give me a cigarette."

Dan makes his first appearance of the report, albeit a little blurry. Sorry 'bout that.

There's something very "Harry Hamlin and a stop-motion robotic owl" about this picture.

There's something very "Hector" about this one.

The place certainly provided a good photo op. One that didn't set me back $20, RCCL. Score!

Adam has a stalker shot of this.

Dammit, Haiti, don't set the island on fire before we get to ride the zipline!

Speaking of which...

A look at one of the cool overview points of the coaster.

I've heard this rumored, almost mythical occurrence talked about for years....possibly even mentioned on NatGeo a time or two, but I didn't want to accept it as truth until I was able to see it with my own eyes.

Then without warning, it appeared - an "Elissa on the beach sighting"!!!!!

Someone apparently didn't get her mom's genes in this department?

Wow, I was kinda just kidding about the crab juice reference in the Discovery Cove section of the report, RCCL. But hey, thanks for listening!

Let's buy stuff!

Well, umm, okay, sure. Go Mets...even in Haiti!

"No, we're not buying the Mets baseball."

I really liked the way the village was set up. I've read plenty of reports online about how people didn't appreciate the "pushiness" of the vendors, but it really didn't bother us. A simple "no thank you" generally worked if you weren't interested.

Shannon bought a wooden sword for her nephew. It was confiscated by ship security and available for us to claim back at Port Canaveral. Thus, our attempt to hijack the ship was thwarted.

There was a "spa" at the top of this cliff. And by "spa," I mean a few places with shoddy massage tables that overlooked the bay.

We thought this was the best beach there. It had a look at the ship in one direction, and a look at the coastline in the other. It also had the water play area (if you were so inclined), and the ocean floor wasn't rocky like the others. Plus, the water temperature was perfect, and there was even a lot more shade for some of the lounge chairs.

I like to think the company purchased those toys for the irony.

There's a good chance those kids are still sitting up there. Seriously.

This reminded me of Thailand, or somewhere similar.

"Can't we just stay here?"

Unfortunately we couldn't, which meant it was time to grab your Seapass, and head back to the "Nation of Why Not."

Hey, someone's gotta cover up those blood stains, right?

Ooh, look, a towel animal.

Goodbye, Haiti. Hope to see ya again!

I'm starting to think I should have planned a little better earlier this year so I could have gone on this trip!

There's something very "Harry Hamlin and a stop-motion robotic owl" about this picture.

"A Titan against a Titan!" Not one of Harryhausen's best, but still way better than the CGI remake.

Great photos. The dragon coaster has been added since I was there, so I'll have to go back. And I too loved the zipline (I kicked a wave!), but I don't think I'd pay to do it again.

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