Carnival Cruise Line takes pride in having activities for all ages, and they REALLY do! This is most apparent on the days at sea, when we take a look at our “Fun Times” schedule and are overwhelmed by all of the possibilities! Aerobics classes, wine tasting, bingo, or mini golf tournaments… There simply isn’t enough time in the day! That being said, we decided to take advantage of all the fun on board by making our second sea day a “Yes Day." Which means, we said “Yes!” to every opportunity or activity presented to us. Whether it was ordering an unusual menu option, attending a comedy show, or a behind the scenes tour, here are all of the things we did on our “Yes Day!”
1. Fancy breakfast at the Platinum Restaurant? Yes! Most days we start with coffee and something simple from the breakfast buffet, like cereal or oatmeal. It’s a yummy, relatively light start to our day. But today, we said “Yes” to the morning brunch and stuffed ourselves. Bobby got the Cereal Crusted French Toast and Eggs Benedict. Alli kept it a little lighter with an Omelette and Fruit platter. Annnnnd we had some warm pastries. Oops!
2. Quick round of Mini Golf? Yes! After breakfast we headed up to the top of the ship and got our mini golf on! We played through the whole course in about 30 minutes, and Alli brought her A game!!! Bobby claims he was distracted by the 360 degree views of the ocean… valid excuse.
3. Tour the Galley? Yes! This was one of the highlights of our cruise. Led by our wonderful Maître D’ Suresh, we were taken through the Carnival Glory’s largest galley. Once inside, we quickly realized what a truly massive operation this is. The galley is all stainless steel, and there are various rooms for every moving piece. What normally is all in one big kitchen is spread out over a massive stainless steel maze, which the staff navigates with ease. Our jaws dropped when we saw how many Melting Chocolate Cakes and Prime Ribs were being prepared for that night’s meal. If you have the chance to do the “Behind the Fun” tour, do NOT miss it! It is incredible to have an insider’s look at what happens behind the scenes of a fun ship.
4. Watch some Ice Carving? Yes! We were SO impressed by the ice carving demonstration. One of the chefs has a family tradition of ice carving, and he really showed it off here! We watched as he hacked a 300 pound block of ice down into this amazing Native American wearing a traditional head dress. Normally the intricate detail takes him about 2 hours to complete this work. But today, with the sun beaming down (and melting his canvas), he was able to carve this in less than 20 minutes! Insane!!
5. Take a Nap? YES! We don’t have many photos to prove it (because obviously, we were sleeping) but this was an important part of every day during our cruise. We ended nap time each day perched on our balcony, adjusting our eyes to the bright sunlight off the blue water.. or the fading light on the horizon, depending on how long we napped. ;)
6. Play a round (or three!) of Bingo? Yes! It may sound cheesy, but playing Bingo is one of the highlights of our cruise! It’s always lively, always hilarious, and always accompanied with a couple rounds of drinks. We may have come away empty handed, but bingo sure is a blast!
7. Dance with the Platinum Restaurant Staff? Yes! We get so excited each night that we hear the Maître D’ say “It’s showtime”, knowing that the staff is about to perform some fun dances for us. We cheer them on, swing our napkins and sing along from our seats. But tonight, our server invited us to JOIN them on the floor! Being a “Yes day”, we couldn’t refuse! So we shook, twisted, and danced with the servers in front of the whole dining room. Yep, we were those people!
8. Attend the Punchliner Comedy Club? Yes! This was an easy “Yes”. We attended these shows nearly every night, and laughed hysterically. Alli’s highlight was when one of the comedians asked Bobby, “Where’s Scooby?” (How have we never realized that Bobby totally looks like Shaggy?!) On this particular night, we watched a comedian who did a hilarious routine about her family in Minnesota - accents and all!
9. See a Playlist Productions Show? Yes! Tonight we attended Latin Nights, which was a tribute to numerous famous singers that was an impressive performance of song and dance. It had us on our feet singing along all night! We were really impressed with the setup, including the stage and lights that make it look and feel like a broadway show!
10. Indulge in a Night Cap at the Alchemy Bar? Yes! This is a cool cocktail bar that we would walk by daily, and Alli would always say, “I REALLY want to go there.” Today, we wrapped up our “Yes day” with some great drinks from the long awaited Alchemy Bar. The location of the bar is a perfect spot for some late night people watching, and the bartenders really know how to make a good drink!
11. Movie on the Lido Deck? Yes! Even though a Night Cap should signify that our night is wrapping up, how often can you watch a movie out on the open seas? While we didn't watch the whole movie, we enjoyed about an hour until we couldn't keep our eyes open any longer. Worth it!
So there it is! A fairly comprehensive list of our “Yes day” aboard the Carnival Glory. We may have failed to mention some lounging in the sun, lots of laughter, and a trip to the Pizza Pirate, but those are daily givens aboard any Carnival ship. Do yourself a favor, and have a “Yes day” on your next cruise, who knows what will happen!!
This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over.
