I know that many friends are curious about this “most luxurious ship ever built” so I thought I’d take you on a tour, deck by deck.  I couldn’t fit all of that in one post, so this will be the first of a few and hopefully, by the time we get off in Miami, I will have captured most of it.

On the other ships we have sailed, this top deck is usually free of deckchairs and suchlike, but here,on all four sides, overlooking the pool, there are the comfiest sunloungers, dressed with terrycloth covers looking very inviting indeed – were it a few degrees warmer.

In the corners are these circular sun beds with canopies which fold back/open up.  Very luxurious – were it not for one thing.

On this deck is also the jogging track.  Please know that I risked life and limb walking around to take these photographs!  People who use the track are serious about their step count and woe betide anyone who gets in the way!

Or goes the wrong way round (several do!)  For me, using the loungers on this deck would be far from relaxing, for not only would the thud-thud-thud of passing traffic become annoying, I’d want to assume the role of controller and say “excuse me, did you realise you were going the wrong way?”! 

Also on this deck is a net for ?golf? practice.

A shuffleboard court with equipment

and instructions!

There’s an enclosed court of some kind – for a variation on tennis, perhaps?

and putting greens for mini golf.

which go all the way around to the other side of the ship.

Here, there’s a Bocce green

and back where we started, a table tennis set up.

Also on Deck 12 are a few suites (including ours!)  There is actually one deck higher still, Deck 14 (there is no Deck 13) where there are a few more suites including the much hyped “Regent Suite”: the one with the grand piano and million dollar hand made bed is to be found. You can read all about that elsewhere!

So that’s one deck done…meet me later and hopefully, the internet will allow a second post about Deck 11.  Right now, I’m off to learn about the news from Central America, from Harry Chittick, our on board lecturer and ace speaker.