March 23-30, 2008 Voyager of the Seas from Galveston. Hi Everyone, This was our second cruise on the Voyager this year from Galveston. We sailed 4 weeks apart and tried to do all the things on this second cruise that we never found time for the first time around on Voyager. First off we arrived at the port at around 2:30pm...I know some of you feel you need to be the first aboard the ship, but there is a lot to be said for strolling aboard and going straight to your cabin and it is ready and the line in the Windjammer is WAY down. There was still a line for check in, in the port building, but being Platinum past passengers, there is a separate line for check in for Platinum, Diamond and Suite passengers. This is still one of the best perks of the loyalty program! We breezed right in and saved at least an hour in line. Our cabin this time was on deck 3 ocean view, cabin 3616. The location of this cabin has its plus' and minus'. It was right off of the aft elevators and the main entrance to the Carmen dining room. This made it easy to go anywhere and get back to the cabin in a flash, the downside was that at dinner time for first and second seating the elevators where always crowded and people were always gathered outside the dining room waiting or taking photos, so it was a busy area by the elevators that were most convenient for us. Our sailing was extra crowded too because of spring break and there were teens and twenty something's EVERYWHERE! Sometimes they would just sit in the stairwells....you get the picture. The crowd was pretty well behaved, but if you have a choice, I don't think I would choose sail right on the Easter week again, just because of all the extra people. Speaking of Easter, they offered Mass everyday as well as a midweek non-denominational service. We went to the Mass the first day and it was very well attended. Some FYI on the cabin, because this was a connecting cabin, it had a chair instead of a small sofa, like our last ocean view cabin. This was in order to leave the door area open. We missed having the extra area for seating or storage, but after some careful thought and a generous tip, we were able to have our cabin steward bring us an extra coffee table that we put in this area and it all worked out great! Food: This time around we went to Portofino, the Italian specialty restaurant on the first night of the cruise; since we never got there on the February cruise. It was excellent. They have a fantastic breadbasket, with a dipping tray as well as oil and balsamic just to start you off. At this point, we thought we had died and gone to heaven........and it was just the beginning. There we a lot of choices on this menu and you can choose as much as you like. Next we chose the Gorgonzola salad. It was so good we talked about it all week. For the entrEe we had the filet mignon, for desert they have an assortment of cakes and cookies and dipped strawberries. The charge for this restaurant is $20 per person plus tip. We liked it so much we went back one more time! We also had many lunches and dinners in the Windjammer buffet. There was always a good salad bar and lots of choices. The Caesar dressing is the best! Entertainment: This time, we made a point of trying to see more of the live entertainment. We checked out the guitar player in the Pig and Whistle, the contemporary band in the Cleopatra's Needle and even saw the Latin band in the Crows Nest. We still never went to the disco, or the fiddle player or piano player in the Crows Nest.........maybe next time. We did stop by the Meet N Mingle in the High Notes and meet some very nice people and had some nice sandwiches and fruit. Ports: Cozumel: We have been here many times and still cannot resist shopping and going into town for lunch. Roatan: This port is in the building process. It will be amazing to see the new buildings that they are building on pier finished by the time we sail next year. We had pre-arranged a visit for diving at CoCo View Resort. This place has amazing hospitality and incredible diving. Progresso: I am not sure why this port gets bad reviews. This was our first time in this port and we decided to see the town of Progresso instead of taking a shore excursion. They run a free bus from the pier into town, about 10-15 mins. There is some shopping in an air-conditioned building on the pier and some vendors as well. In town there was a local craft market and a local beach and more vendors. It was fun just taking it all in. Next time, I would probably take one of the tours either to Merida or to any one of the Mayan Ruins. Disembarkation: This time it took longer to get off the ship. The lines seem to move slowly, so if you are in a hurry or have an early flight, try to make sure you have the right colored luggage tags to be in the early groups to get off the ship. Email me if you have any questions. Bon Voyage!