Hate Cruises, Love Zumba
Posted on February 7, 2016 by Ching under Travel, Zumba.
Since I mentioned that Brian and I don’t particularly like going on cruises, you’re probably wondering why we went. Here’s the draw:
The number of Zumba classes offered was no joke. I actually thought there were more classes than that. There was Zumba from 8 AM all the way to 9 PM on most days. Every inch of the ship was doing Zumba.
Here are some of the places that Zumba classes were held on the ship:
– Main Pool Deck
– Pyramid Lounge
– Conference Room
– Studio B (where the ice skating rink is)
– Fitness Center (this is pretty obvious)
– Royal Promenade (I think this surprised some people)
– Jogging Track
– Alhambra Theater
– Helipad (it was pretty rough but made for cool photos)
– Sports Court (this was actually my favorite surface to dance on)
– On Air (also known as the karaoke bar)
– H20 Zone Pool (Aqua Zumba)
– Solarium Pool (Aqua Zumba
I picked some high profile celebrity instructors to take classes from so most of my classes were at the Main Pool Deck, Studio B, or Sports Court. I did crash a few classes in the other locations, though. Classes were going on simultaneously throughout the day. At any given time there were at least half a dozen to a dozen classes to choose from. Besides the classes I’d signed up for ahead of time, we had opportunity to take other classes on a “first come, first served” basis and there were times that it was really hard to decide which class to crash.
Day One, Monday, January 25: Brian and I got up early, had breakfast at the hotel, took a quick selfie, and then headed down to wait for our shuttle to the cruise terminal.
We wanted to board the ship early because I signed up for Nick Logrea’s 2:45 to 3:45 PM class. I had no idea where the class would be so Brian and I wanted to get on early, have some lunch, and maybe even do some exploring around the ship before my class. That was the plan, anyway.
We took the 10:30 AM shuttle to port because we thought we would be able to board at 11:00 AM. Well, that didn’t work out because they were having some technical issues on the ship. After checking in, we had to wait in this massive staging area. It seemed like we waited forever. At least they gave us these nice goodie bags with a nice Zumba Cruise sweat towel and a little Zumba gear catalog with the new designs.
I knew that the Zumba Education Specialists (ZES), celebrity instructors, and other VIPs would get to board first because they had to prepare for their classes and they’re special and such, but it took a really long time. At the time, we didn’t know that there were computer issues. Brian and I just thought, this is why we hate cruises. They herd you like cattle and there’s a lot of waiting around. It was almost noon by the time the VIPs were boarding and it was well after noon by the time boarding for us regular folk started.
It was 1:00 pm by the time we were on the ship. There was no time to waste. We made a beeline for the lunch buffet so I could have some food before my class. Brian, itching to make the most of his $70 a day unlimited drink package, got a Stella from the first bar we came across. LOL.
We didn’t have much time to explore the ship after lunch before I had to be in class but we did have some time to stop by our stateroom. We got an interior cabin to save some money and our room was shockingly tiny. Again, we were reminded of why we hate cruising. Our room was half the size of our master bedroom and our bathroom reminded of an airplane toilet. Good thing we didn’t spend much time in there. Although, I have to say, you get used to the size after a few days. By the fifth day, our tiny room didn’t seem so bad. It’s just a shock when you’re used to the expansive, luxurious rooms that you get at all-inclusive resorts.
It had been almost seven years since our last cruise and I guess we’d forgotten what the staterooms were like. Another reason it was hard to compare is that we’d never cruised on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship before. Our prior two cruises were on Carnival. That and we got a handicap accessible room on the last cruise so the bathroom was actually really roomy, as cruise ship bathrooms go.
Anyway, the information sheet stated that our luggage may not get delivered to our rooms until 8:00 pm at the latest. Brian’s duffel was already outside our door when we came by after lunch so that was impressive. Still, mine hadn’t arrived and may not arrive until much later. Knowing the risks, I came dressed in Zumba gear so I was ready to go for my 2:45 PM class despite not having my luggage.
Here I am waiting for Nick Logrea’s masterclass to begin. I’d never taken a class or workshop from him but I’d heard many great things so I was super pumped.
By the way, that ID thing around my neck my “sea pass” card. Yet another reason that we prefer all-inclusive resort vacations to cruises. You have to carry around that thing with you to get drinks. We never need badges at AIs. I didn’t know where else to put it (ours was tied to our credit card, so I definitely did not want to lose it) so I had to dance with that thing around my neck the entire time. I still had a blast despite the minor inconvenience of having that thing flop around.
Here are a few snippets from class…
Missy’s class was canceled because they were still trying to set things up outside so she ended up taking Nick Logrea’s class with me. You can’t see us very well in this photo because we’re toward the front.
Here are some closer photos…
Here’s a pic of the two of us with ZES Nick Logrea.
And just me…
Brian and I did some exploring after the class. When we returned to our room, my suitcase had arrived. I thought about changing outfits but I only packed so many clothes (we always pack light on our trips) so I decided to just stay in the sweaty clothes. I was just going to sweat again anyway.
My next class was with ZES Steve Boedt at the Main Pool Deck. It was so packed, we could barely move. You make the most of the situation, though. I danced my butt off and managed not to get trampled.
Kass Martin did a cameo in Steve’s class.
She did several songs with him, actually. It was awesome!
I’m glad Brian got some photos because I didn’t have my phone on me. I didn’t have anywhere to put it and I didn’t want to lose it while I was dancing.
Brian and I had dinner by ourselves that night. We called Glynda’s room and Missy and Todd’s room but they didn’t get our message. After we couldn’t connect, I really thought we might not see our friends the entire trip. It’s hard to find people on the ship because it’s so crowded. Brian and I actually lost each other several times. Thankfully, we shared the same room so we just went back there. LOL.
We went to the party at Labyrinth where DJ Francis was spinning and stayed until about midnight. We were hoping to see Missy and Todd, or Glynda, or Rob and Heather but never did run into them. Missy and Todd told us the next day that they went. We must have just missed one another.
That’s pretty much day one in a nutshell. Stay tuned for a recap of day two.
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