PS

Just a quick update, Nic Aimee and I did the I-Fly sky diving this afternoon and all I can say is it's amazing.
First you get an instructional safety video then you get fully equipped with full suit, goggles, earplugs and helmet.
The actual time in the fly tube is only one minute, but what an amazing experience it is. Definitely going to do it again when we're back on the Anthem next month.
Sorry there are no photos but Sheila couldn’t get up by the fly tube with Joe in the pram.

Conclusions??

Another great cruise, even Nic and I didn't argue much lol.
Aimee was a star and even completed 14 A3 sheets of home work that she in her wisdom had requested from school.
Aimee and I went on the bumper cars, bumper cars at sea! Only on RCL. Nic, Aims and I are doing the I-Fly today so I'll let you know about that later.
On this trip we've used the diamond lounge instead of the concierge lounge as the concierge wouldn't let the kids in for the evening drinks, even though he has the authority to. And kids are not out of place in the concierge lounge as suite guests are allowed to bring their kids in.
Anyway Andrew the diamond concierge let us in and looked after us very well.
The ship itself is just the same as Quantum, but the atmosphere doesn't seem quite as relaxed. Also virtually nobody wore any formal dress any evening just the odd few, and quite a lot of people were in shorts and T shirts all evening.
Personally I put this down to sailing from the UK.
I probably sound a bit snobbish, but I don't think it's to much to ask to slip a shirt and a pair of slacks on of an evening. If you want to bum around in shorts and T shirts all the time, I believe Benidorm is nice.
That said we've once again met some lovely people Mick and Sharon who did the progressive quiz with us. Also Ian and Janet along with Bob and Doreen who are Janets parents, we spent most evenings in the diamond lounge with them.

Babe Magnet!

I have been getting a lot of young women stopping me and chatting, and for a while I was thinking I was some sort of a babe magnet.
Then it struck me, it wasn't me they wanted to talk to, it was the cute bundle of joy that I was holding. Little Joe is a real babe Magnet. Seriously though the amount of people that stop and speak to him is amazing. 

I was in the Windjammer with him the other day and my food went cold and uneaten because of the number of staff that stopped to coo at him and ask me all about him.
Another time Nic and Aimee got on a shuttle bus and sat near the front, and every passenger stopped to talk to him, causing a queue.
Also everyone says how much he looks like me, so there's the answer to why he's a babe magnet, he takes after his grandad.... LMAO 😘

Wonderland Restaurant

Last night we did the wonderland restaurant as our Nic really wanted to try it.
Well as you may know, I'm not really one for paying extra for the so called speciality restaurants, because the food and service is normally no better than you get in the complimentary restaurants.
But in the case of wonderland, I will have to make a big exception.
The whole experience is amazing, from the blank menu you receive at the start to the sweet delights at the end.
The service is great, but the food is definitely the star of the show.
I won't tell you what we got as it would spoil the surprise if you go yourself, and the surprise is a big part of it.
Suffice to say, that the food is brilliant and presented in a very different and imaginative way.
As far as ordering goes, the waiter will ask you if you have any allergies etc, and if you have a preference for meat or seafood or a mixture for the main course, after that you sit back and see what comes.
As far as the $49 per person charge goes, this is still a bit steep, but if you can get a 33% off deal which they do offer at times or even a 2 for 1, which diamond and above get, it's well worth a visit.

Pool Day

Spent most of the day by the kids pool and the weather was brilliant, so the girls got the time in the sun that they wanted.
Took little Joe into the baby pool, it only has about 1 inch of water, so he was fine when he flipped over on to his belly. That was until he decided to try and eat the brightly coloured pool floor. He ended up with a mouthful of water which he didn't like at all, lol.
Nic and Aimee spent some time in the big pool, Sheila lay in the sun,  and I read my book in the shade, so a good day was had by all.

Lanzarote, Canary Isles

Today was Lanzarote, we docked about 12.30am  and it was a Sunday, so everything was shut.
But in true Royal Caribbean style they charged $9 per person for a shuttle bus to town, knowing that there was nothing open.
Sheila and I stayed on the ship, while Nic and Aimee decided to go into town as they'd never been to Lanzarote before and as luck would have it, they found a Mackie Dees open, so at least got some wifi.
Tomorrow is Tenerife and we've all decided to stay on board the ship and have some pool time, which Aimee in particular is looking forward to, water baby that she is.
Her tan as usual is brilliant btw, first day of sunshine and she's as brown as anything, even with full factor suncream on, lucky bugger.
Oh I nearly forgot, Nic and Aimee did the North Star and loved it!
Which in the Aimsters case was a surprise, as on the cable car ride yesterday she had her eyes closed and was praying almost the whole way up and down.
Anyway she got some great shots of the ship while on the North Star.

Funchal, Madeira.

We all went for a stroll in to the town and decided to take the cable car up to the village of Monte, it's a great ride, if a little bit scary towards the top when the wind got up and shook the gondola a bit.
Our Aimee hated every minute of the ride and had her eyes covered most of the time.
At the top we went to see the toboggans as they start their slide down to the town.
Our Nic was gobsmacked that they had no brakes or steering.
If you've never seen them just imagine a wooden bread tray with a seat on it.