March 26th, 2024
Good morning my friends! Welcome to day 3 of our Spring Break cruise recap.
I started my morning with my usual oatmeal from the buffet, followed by a trip to the (gasp!) fitness center. But first, coffee.
Because we were docked at our second port destination (Perfect Day at Coco Cay), the gym was pretty empty. While Hubs and TG went ashore, I warmed up on the bike, then did a Kilter-style dynamic warmup, including Ann’s Arms (IYKYK), followed by an adapted version of the WOD programmed for Kilter that day. People – I did burpees. Willingly! And surprisingly easily. It’s just so weird considering burpees are of the devil. I mean, if doing them felt this good back home, I’d love them. Anyway, after a good 15 minutes of dumbbell snatches, step ups, burpees, air squats, and KB swings, I still had more left in the tank! I used SmartWOD to come up with another 10 minutes of sweat. Best workout at sea I’ve ever had!
After a good stretch, I grabbed a quick shower and then met up with Hubs and TG at our lounge chairs on Chill Island Beach.
TG and I went wading and found some great little shells. Unfortunately for us, we couldn’t bring them home because they were all occupied.
Play the video for some more.
TG and I were going to recruit Hubs to snorkel with us, but first I had to use the loo. When I returned to the chairs, Hubs and TG were gone. I figured they went to snorkel and I’d go find them. I was snapping the breathing tube of my mask into place when my phone rang. It was TG on the other end. This is where the day became a bummer… TG told me that just a few minutes after we got out of the water, a 60-70 year old man washed ashore – RIGHT WHERE WE HAD BEEN. I felt positively sick to my stomach and had to sit down. His poor family! I must give props to all of the first responders who ran to the scene, administered CPR and located the man’s wife. As they carted him away on a beach buggy, they continued to do CPR as they drove out of sight. We never heard a helicopter (to take him to an ER), so I’m guessing they were not able to revive him. We don’t’ know if he was snorkeling, swimming, or what, or if he was from our ship or Freedom of the Seas as both were at the island that day. Regardless of how it happened, it was so awful and sad.
I sent a text to my family back home to let them know we were ok (in case it hit the news or the cruise blogs my dad follows). Hubs and I thought a change of scene was a good idea so the three of us got some lunch at the island buffet. I’m not sure how, but we all still had an appetite after the incident on the beach. They had burgers and dogs, BBQ chicken, tacos, and various sammies. I got some chicken and a toasted portobello & mozzarella sandwich that was outstanding. It tasted like mushroom pizza in sandwich form.
We spent a little more time in the water and on our beach loungers before heading back to the ship. On the way back, we made a friend.
After dinner that night, we saw the most amazing show I’ve ever witnessed at sea. It’s called Aqua80. If you ever sail on one of the Royal Caribbean ships that does this show, it is a MUST-see. There’s no extra charge for seats, but reservations are usually required because it’s so popular.
Aqua80 takes place at the ship’s outdoor AquaTheater, aft of the Boardwalk. The multi-skilled performers dance, dive, (synchronized) swim, and fly to all 80s tunes (my favorite music era). The show begins with Marty McFly doing arial acrobatics on a hoverboard 60 feet or so above the audience via flywires, and it just gets more incredible from there. Video of Marty below.
A few of the music mashups are a little odd and some of the choreography is hokey, but the overall show is simply astounding. The high dives remind me of those cartoons where the character dives from unreal heights into a tiny pool. The hydraulic floor of the AquaTheater stage/freshwater pool can adjust to up to 18 feet deep to accommodate the 10 meter high dives. Play below for a bit of the synchronized swimming.
Unfortunately, the ship was experiencing some “movement,” aka waves. As a result, they had to pause the show a few times and we missed out on some of the sequences. We did make it back to see the show again (standing room only at the back) another night, and saw so much more that was cut the night we sat in the good seats (2nd row), including a tightrope walker and additional arial acrobatics. I can’t do it justice in text. If you ever get the chance to sail Oasis of the Seas while the show is still in production, do yourself a favor and make sure to reserve a spot at Aqua80. If you look it up on YouTube, there are tons of videos too, but it’s so incredible in person.
After the show, Hubs and I wanted to take a stroll through the art gallery. We rarely like the same art, but it’s fun to go together. Were about 2/3 through when we caught the attention of Elouise, who glommed on to us and tried to keep us talking as long as possible. I really didn’t mind, but Hubs did not want to engage and get the hard sell, so we moseyed on out through the casino. After that, we either went up to bed, or maybe sat in the Schooner Bar to listen to the piano player. I can’t be sure because at this point in the trip the evenings are beginning to blend together.
Next up, day 4 – a sea day!