Market Friday gets the Royal Treatment

in #marketfriday4 years ago (edited)


image.png


Today is #MarketFriday initiated by @dswigle (Denise, that's me!!) I hope you will join me as we share different markets across the globe. I find it one of my greatest pleasures on the platform, mixing our cultures and our lives. Share in the experience of enjoying markets from around the world and different cultures.

Edit: Apologies! I went to schedule the post for Friday morning as I will be out of town that day and I posted it for Thursday morning instead! No worries and we'll have #MarketFriday per our regular schedule.


Please leave the link to your post on here so it can easily be found by others. They are so much easier to find in one place. Where else can you take such a quick trip around the globe? Thank you so much for joining us!! ❤


Are you ready? Life preservers packed? Let's go!!


In this particular ship, there is a full-size Merry-Go-Round in a place called Central Park. This ship has actual neighborhoods. You can see in the picture below the neighborhood they call Central Park. It is an outside kind of place and is filled with cafes, tropical plants and everything you would see in an upscale promenade or walkplatz. They even have Coney Island and a hot dog stand. Welcome to Royal Caribbean, who, by the way, should be sponsoring me, but, alas, they don't.


image.png

divider2.png

image.png


So, this is one of the ships I cruised on. It is just an alternative to going on a traditional vacation, like a floating holiday, if you will. There are times I would rather do something else, But, right now, at this time in my life, when I get time off, it feels good to get pampered and waited on. A little anyway...

Not a traditional #MarketFriday, but, who doesn't love to be a little bit different? There is no right or wrong here, just what drives you that week. I love to share and be shared with! So, yes! I would love to see yours! Don't forget to take photos wherever you happen to be shopping - whether it be the grocery store, the local marketplace or even an art gallery. Wherever money is exchanged for a service or for merchandise. Be different if you wish! It does not have to be a traditional market! We will love it! I promise you! Don't forget to use the hashtag #MarketFriday and @dswigle.

image.png


The first time I saw a car parked on the promenade of a ship, I couldn't believe my eyes. Why? Well, it does make a nice addition to the photo ops around and quite nice to be sure. No, I didn't. If I wasn't driving it, I wasn't faking it. To be clear, the promenade is the wide boulevard or main walkway where people stroll. It is usually the widest part of the ship, as far as boardwalks.

text15.png

And even if this wasn't the Swarovski Crystal staircase that they had on the MSC Cruiselines, it is beautiful.


image.png

lineacorazon.jpg

But first, a flower. Always a flower.

The loveliness of you never escapes me
May I gaze upon you, always and a day?


image.png


There are cooking classes at many different times during the cruises. They try to please every person's wants and needs. You can learn to make sushi, decorate cakes and many other delectable delicacies. If you are lucky, you get selected from the audience and get an up-close and personal demonstration.


image.png


But, then again...

Sometimes everyone is part of the class. It depends on what they are doing, such as sushi! Everyone gets to make their own roll!

image.png


Last time I counted, there were five pools on this ship, plus the kiddie pool. That is a lot of pool. Now granted, they don't make them too big, but nice enough that you can have an enjoyable time without too much suffering.

Nobody is allowed to suffer here.


image.png


The Quantum-class ships have what is referred to as "The North Star" which is a glass-enclosed little pod that holds people and would remind you of a small London Eye. The picture of the pool was taken from the North Star. It really gives you quite the view.

And, yes! I have gotten stuck up there, for about ten minutes on two separate occasions. Yikes! Third time is the charm, right??


image.png

Separador_by_mille1234d80r2bh.png

image.png


No matter where you find yourself on the ship, there will be music. Soft music, playing in the background, the mood lighting making a peaceful atmosphere. These are the moments cherished, where you find yourself living the dream, your imagination blowing through the ship. Down a flight of stairs is a place called the Crypt, a nightclub that will play appropriate Goth-themed music. You want it, they have it. Karaoke is a favorite. I may or may not have done it. What happens on Royal Caribbean stays there.

image.png

The shops onboard are abundant! Jewelry, sundries, upscale clothing, shoes, purses, watches... You name it, they may have it. The shops are open late and where else can you shop for a bangle or a diamond tennis bracelet at eleven-thirty at night? I tried on a tennis bracelet and a black sapphire and diamond bangle.


image.png


They brought me to places where palm rule supreme, throwing a coconut or two my way. The epitome of tropical paradise. Yes, please.


image.png


It goes without saying that this cruise line is a gastronomic event. Food is so very subjective in my opinion and if you ask a hundred people about their food on board, you will always get a different answer. I have to say that I think the food differs a bit from ship to ship, but, I can say that the smaller ships always get my vote for the best food. Usually, the service too. I have to wonder if it is because there are fewer people to contend with?


image.png


I had no complaints and to be honest with you, sampled the escargot, lobster and whatever fish was served up. They had a meat-eaters banquet every night, along with fish, vegan, and every other kind you can think of. Far Below: Prime Rib, one of their favorites to offer up and above Rack of Lamb. This is actually the best lamb I have ever had. New Zealand Lamb and I have it every time they offer it and it is consistently amazing. Above that is Beef Wellington and lobster tails, with an array of veggies and whipped potatoes. Truly an art the way they serve. We played with the food a little bit before I took the pictures. Sorry!


image.png


The food is glorious and the portions are generous. If they have two entrees and you can't make up your mind, they encourage you to order two.


image.png


I applaud the chefs and the entire wait staff. They are truly the best! Five stars best! And I make sure they are properly thanked for their efforts. I cannot be easy serving that many people and making them happy.

image.png


Alices' Wonderland is an eclectic restaurant with exotic tastes. Here is a sample of the Menu:

FIRE - Emanating wonderful warmth
Buffalo Chicken Eggs
Smoke, blue cheese & hot sauce

Shrimp Kataifi
Crispy crumb, scotch bonnet

Wonton Soup
Jelly, noodles

SEA - Oceanic inspirations from the tide of the imagination
Liquid Lobster
Bone marrow & caviar

Halibut cooked in clear paper
Mushrooms, potato & bacon

Branzino in Crispy Bread
Tamarind spice emulsion


image.png


The dining rooms are all stunning. They set the tables formal (although there are plenty of informal places to eat if you prefer) and you select from a varied menu every night. That makes it nice to have different choices. If you are allergic to something, they take good care of you. Of course, it is not only Royal that does this, but, most of the cruise ships. If you go on enough of them, you will pick a favorite.


image.png

One of the newer ships in the fleet of Royal Caribbean and it has murals painted all over the ship. Truly like eye candy, it was. It is no secret that I love art - from street art to the Masters, hanging in the museums. This ship was right up my proverbial alley. Nice job, Royal!


image.png


Another private space, where you and your loved one can go to sit and talk.

It's also great for a little people watching!


image.png


Here!


image.png


And here. All sorts of beautiful spaces created to bask in its peaceful surroundings.


image.png


I love the way these geodes are suspended from the ceilings in the stairwells, some of them anyway. It really gives a magical feel to it. I tried to identify them one night. A total disaster.


image.png


The poolside movies shown every night is a favorite of many. It's late and it is time to relax and enjoy a movie while you swim or while you sit in the beach chairs. A nice way to end the evening.


image.png


There is a turn-down every night and there is a special little "something" left for you.

Le sigh.

It is never the same, usually something different and quite delightful!


image.png

Another night in paradise, as the sun reaches down and kisses the earth goodnight.


CUE THE MUSIC MAESTRO!!


image.pngsource



We'll let Lorde sing about Royal. I probably could have chosen better, but, I couldn't resist the urge to pair Lorde's song Royals with Royal Caribbean.



Fridays are all about the #MarketFriday Challenge! Looking to take part in it? Here is how:
How to Participate:

Go to the market! Any market will do! Food, Clothing, Plant or Animal, if you wish. You can go to the zoo or an art auction. Anywhere or anything that you pay money for a service. I once went to a nail salon.

  1. Take pictures! Be creative (or not)
  2. Tell us a little bit about the market, what brought you here?
  3. Post the picture(s)
  4. Don’t forget to hashtag it! #MarketFriday by @dswigle
  5. Drop the link to your post here so I can easily find them

    It is always interesting to see the different markets around the globe! C’mon! Show me your market shots! I eagerly await them!

    And just like that, this post is over. From beginning to end, I'll do it again, probably tomorrow. Have an amazing day! Do something fabulous!💖 I also want to take a moment to thank you for participating or reading #MarketFriday! I hope you enjoyed your virtual cruise! If you haven't tried it already, join the tag and have some fun with it!



    Facebook

    Twitter

    Instagram



    Thank you for visiting my post 💖 Because of you, I come back to post, again and again, Some days, it is not as easy to see, how wonderful our world really is. Kindness counts. Wherever you go, whatever you do.


    they set my aunts house on fire
    i cried the way women on tv do
    folding at the middle
    like a five pound note.
    i called the boy who use to love me
    tried to ‘okay’ my voice
    i said hello
    he said warsan, what’s wrong, what’s happened?

    i’ve been praying,
    and these are what my prayers look like;
    dear god
    i come from two countries
    one is thirsty
    the other is on fire
    both need water.

    later that night
    i held an atlas in my lap
    ran my fingers across the whole world
    and whispered,
    "where does it hurt?"
    it answered,

    "everywhere"
    "everywhere"
    "everywhere"

    warsan shire



    #Steemusa is a growing community of quality-content people from the United States or those living here. Check us out on Discord!

    SteemUSA.jpg

    PHC-Footer-05.gif


    Let the sun shine in on your life

    So the joy may touch your soul

    image.png
















Sort:  

Oh yes you sure sold me on the idea. I am going to get on a cruise or die trying. Sun and fun, yes please! I cannot wait to try it out.

I got my Market Friday before the bell but I forgot to drop the link...

https://steemit.com/hive-174578/@old-guy-photos/winds-of-change

I hope you really do!! I think you will love it and I have to wonder if you will ever be the same once you do! :)

Thanks for dropping your link and stop spoiling me!! Getting it done on time!!! :)

#MarketFriday loves you!

!tip .20

🎁 Hi @old-guy-photos! You have received 0.2 STEEM tip from @dswigle!

@dswigle wrote lately about: Market Friday Goes Net Zero Feel free to follow @dswigle if you like it :)

Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide.

pixresteemer_incognito_angel_mini.png
Bang, I did it again... I just resteemed your post!
Week 19 of my contest just started...you can now check the winners of the previous week!
Pixresteemer is also listed as promoter on The Steemians Directory
!BEER
6

Thank you for the resteem @pixresteemer! Much appreciated!

#MarketFriday loves you!

!tip

🎁 Hi @pixresteemer! You have received 0.1 STEEM tip from @dswigle!

@dswigle wrote lately about: On Being A Lighthouse And Other Necessities Feel free to follow @dswigle if you like it :)

Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide.

Hey my friend stunning. Turns out I am blooming hungry and that did NOT help, hehehe lucky just about to eat however ;)

https://steemit.com/marketfriday/@craigcryptoking/3fkjnv-market-friday-with-dswigle

Have an amazing weekend x
Cheer$;)

Haha! That is pretty unfair, isn't it? :) They do happen to serve some pretty awesome dinners and lunches and breakfasts... Oh, it is all good. Nothing wrong with a little bit of being spoiled, even if it is only for a moment or two.

How are you and is that baby getting closer to coming? I think you said summer, though, right? Have you and the little lady gotten any closer to being friends civil to one another? I hope she can see the error of her ways. Oh! Boy or girl???

I love getting your always eclectic and wonderful posts. Thanks for dropping the link! Kiss South Africa for me!

#MarketFriday loves you!

!tip

Hey my friend ... well I decided if I need peace as my landlord says do you want to be right or do you want peace? So basically i pay and comply to her every demand albeit mistakes.. She screws up and still blames me.. such a joke. None the less if i cant change the situation, change my attitude towards it and I have!

Hes a boy and he is here in 3- 4 weeks my last post I posted pics of his scan... x x

Lovies x x x

PS thanks again for the love support and tip mwah

Cheer$;)

🎁 Hi @craigcryptoking! You have received 0.1 STEEM tip from @dswigle!

@dswigle wrote lately about: Treed On Tuedays Feel free to follow @dswigle if you like it :)

Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide.

Cruising is the best. I'm planning a trans-Atlantic next November from Italy to Florida, it should be amazing!

Until then.....here is a market from Can Tho Vietnam.

https://steemit.com/travelfeed/@world-travel-pro/travel-pro-places-of-interest-165-mekong-delta-market-in-can-tho-vietnam-part-one-8-photos

The Trans-Atlantics are nice, especially if it is a ship with a lot of entertainment or you really want some R&R.

Which cruise line are you going with?

Thanks for being a part of #MarketFriday and for dropping the link!

#MarketFriday loves you!

!tip

Not sure, it will be one of the cheaper ones, which are still great in my opinion. Probably Royal Caribbean or Carnival. But for 2 weeks, all you can eat, and get from Europe to Florida for about $600 including rent! That budget travel at it's best! hahaha. They offer some incredible deals. If I flew, stayed in a hotel, and ate out, those two weeks would cost me way more money anyway.

🎁 Hi @world-travel-pro! You have received 0.1 STEEM tip from @dswigle!

@dswigle wrote lately about: Treed On Tuedays Feel free to follow @dswigle if you like it :)

Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide.

Fantastic cruise experience!
I would gain several kilos on this trip!

Love to touch those floating rocks. They look huge and heavy. Cooking classes would come in handy too.

It is really hard to maintain one's current weight with all the food they serve you. They always give me more than what I ask for, but, I do not like the waste.

Oh, the geodes are really gorgeous, aren't they? I purposely take that set of stairs so I can see them. :) Sorry to post #MarketFriday early. It was an error! But, now it is done. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by the challenge!

#MarketFriday loves you!

!tip

It’s okay to post a few hours early as time is relative! Your post is just on time according to the clock on Venus.

Good thing! There are four swimming pools and walking tracks on the cruise! It woujd be nice to be able to learn to cook and to make bread in cooking classes. Oh! I would not mind taking a crashed course on Chinese language during a cruise!

Thanks ever so much for your kindness!
Best!

They have all of these things! I even learned how to do sushi there. Haha! It was more like a day and a half early and I was afraid some people would miss it. But, I should know better because everyone comes even if I am not here.

Thank goodness for Venus! That makes me feel so much better! :)

I hope you are having a great day!

#MarketFriday still loves you!

!tip

🎁 Hi @kaminchan! You have received 0.1 STEEM tip from @dswigle!

@dswigle wrote lately about: Market Friday Gets The Royal Treatment Feel free to follow @dswigle if you like it :)

Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide.

🎁 Hi @kaminchan! You have received 0.1 STEEM tip from @dswigle!

@dswigle wrote lately about: Market Friday Gets The Royal Treatment Feel free to follow @dswigle if you like it :)

Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide.

Thank you for the tip.

You are always welcome!

beautiful photography. thanks for share your Friday experience. 😊❤ have a nice day.

Posted using Partiko Android

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and say hello. I hope you have a nice day yourself.

#MarketFriday loves you!

!tip

🎁 Hi @shuvo35! You have received 0.1 STEEM tip from @dswigle!

@dswigle wrote lately about: Treed On Tuedays Feel free to follow @dswigle if you like it :)

Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide.

Wow ! The Royal Caribbean !!
I've never been on a cruise before, maybe cos I don't really like water all around me. A feeling of drowning isn't one that I fully enjoy.
But I can see that maybe I should re consider this idea

Hi @ireenchew! Oh, I know a lot of people feel that way, but, when you are on a ship that is bigger than most pieces of real estate, it changes how you feel, in most cases.

You don't actually even feel like you are off the land. It is a nice way to enjoy an all-inclusive getaway while being pampered in a style that I could become accustomed to. LOL Just kidding, but, they are nice once in a while!

You should reconsider it. If only for a moment or three. Thanks for stopping by and saying hello! Always good to see you!

#MarketFriday loves you!

!tip

🎁 Hi @ireenchew! You have received 0.1 STEEM tip from @dswigle!

@dswigle wrote lately about: Market Friday Gets The Royal Treatment Feel free to follow @dswigle if you like it :)

Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide.

This cruise ship looks amazing. The staircase and food especially.

I can't help but notice that the swimming pool is shaped like a toilet seat. I wonder if this was intentional, lol?

Hahaha! OMG! Until you said that, I never even noticed it! But, now that you mention it, do you think that secretly, the architect laughs every time he thinks about it? I have to wonder.

The ship is amazing, but, I will never be able to go into that specific pool again. All that keeps running through my head is this #toiletthursday post here.I couldn't resist. It was riveting. Thanks for stopping by and pointing out the obvious, although not to me!!!

#MarketFriday loves you!

!tip

🎁 Hi @abitcoinskeptic! You have received 0.1 STEEM tip from @dswigle!

@dswigle wrote lately about: Market Friday Gets The Royal Treatment Feel free to follow @dswigle if you like it :)

Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide.

Nice write up !

!trdo
!marlians

Congratulations @sinlg, you successfuly trended the post shared by @dswigle!
@dswigle will receive 0.00276413 TRDO & @sinlg will get 0.00184275 TRDO curation in 3 Days from Post Created Date!

"Call TRDO, Your Comment Worth Something!"

To view or trade TRDO go to steem-engine.com
Join TRDO Discord Channel or Join TRDO Web Site

Thank you for the TRDO @sinig!

Thank you for stopping by and for the tokens! Much appreciated! I hope you have a wonderful day!

#MarketFriday loves you!

!tip

🎁 Hi @sinlg! You have received 0.1 STEEM tip from @dswigle!

@dswigle wrote lately about: Treed On Tuedays Feel free to follow @dswigle if you like it :)

Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide.

Coin Marketplace

STEEM 0.29
TRX 0.12
JST 0.033
BTC 63630.77
ETH 3179.32
USDT 1.00
SBD 3.95