We started the day very early, arriving at the airport around five am. We were surprised at how long it took to jump all of the hoops. We were barely at the gate when they began to board.
I was worried that I would begin to cough before take off and they would make us get off. Fortunately that did not happen.
The time in Denver went smoothly and before long we were on the plane for the last leg and home. Once the plane left the ground I knew we were safe. Even if the coughing began again they were not going to turn the plane around. Anyway we made it safe and sound and Len and Ellenor were waiting for us.
We all went out to dinner at the ABC in Abbotsford and then they took us home. It was too late to get to a clinic, so I just went to bed.I had a speaking engagement scheduled for Wednesday but knowing there was no way I could manage that I called and cancelled. They understood and we will make a new date as soon as I am back to my gabby self.
I got very little sleep and as soon as the near by Walk in Clinic was open we were there. The doctor says I have a lung infection and he has prescribed an antibiotic so I will no doubt be fine and off and running in a few days.
It was a great trip but it is also good to be home.
All in all it was a fabulous adventure and I will be busy doing the book for the next month. We saw and did so much it will be difficult to condense it into 100 pages.
We are indeed blessed.
The next little adventure will be an RV trip the end of June and then more cruising in August and September.
Till Then
Monday, March 17, 2014
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Saturday,March15/2014
Well I have gotten e-mail wanting to know where I am so I guess I had better let people know that it really wasn't a death rattle and I am fine.
When we arrived here I was impressed with how nice it is and I really just tried to get feeling better. Here are a few pictures of our digs.
We went out and got groceries and tissue and cough drops and cough medicine .
Outside of the Westgate Palace
We relaxed and enjoyed the wonderful views and like everyone else we were glued to our TV wanting to know what was happening with flight 390.
We discovered much to our surprise that our suitcases were overweight. Too many sauces and spices I suspect. Anyway we went to the post office and got a box and filled it with heavy things. The box weighed 13 pounds 6.8 ounces, so hopefully we are fine now. Doing that juggling took up some of our time to say the least.
On Thursday Nancy and cliff drove over from Cocoa and we had a great visit. We went to the longhorn for a mid day meal and it was great. We were so glad to see them.
Then yesterday we went to view Westgate Lakes, took our box to the post office and sent it on its way.
The big event for the day was a visit to Sunny and diane Banks. They winter about an hour and a half from here in a community called Avon. When we arrived I laid down and had a nap because I was really feeling terrible. Ken visited with Diane and then went to the car race sight where sunny volunteers. He really enjoyed it which made me feel better. Basically Ken has had no time for fun because he would not leave me in the unit alone. Again I must say how thankful I am that this monster cold did not happen at the beginning of the cruise.
Diane is a retired nurse and when I told her about this and how it developed. How it was just a sore throat for days and then became this terrible cold she figures that I had a viral infection during the first 5 days and when my resistance was down a bacterial infection got me. She figures a doctor will give me an antibiotic when we get back to Abbotsford.
Diane was a pet and she prepared a wonderful meal for us , a meal that included fresh from the oven rolls. I ate and it felt good for the first time in day.
We left there around 7:30 and Ken had no trouble getting us back here even in the dark.
I got some sleep through the night and I feel a little better this morning. I just got out of a nice shower .
Today we are in a holding pattern basically. Our plane leaves at 6:54am tomorrow. We have closed the suitcases and both are around 47 pounds so we should be just fine. I am hoping the coughing will subside today. I can only imagine how upset passengers will be if I am coughing constantly while in the air.
In the mean time all is well and we are relaxing and looking forward to being home soon.
I will post one more time before I close off this adventure of 49 days.
When we arrived here I was impressed with how nice it is and I really just tried to get feeling better. Here are a few pictures of our digs.
We went out and got groceries and tissue and cough drops and cough medicine .
Outside of the Westgate Palace
We relaxed and enjoyed the wonderful views and like everyone else we were glued to our TV wanting to know what was happening with flight 390.
We discovered much to our surprise that our suitcases were overweight. Too many sauces and spices I suspect. Anyway we went to the post office and got a box and filled it with heavy things. The box weighed 13 pounds 6.8 ounces, so hopefully we are fine now. Doing that juggling took up some of our time to say the least.
On Thursday Nancy and cliff drove over from Cocoa and we had a great visit. We went to the longhorn for a mid day meal and it was great. We were so glad to see them.
Then yesterday we went to view Westgate Lakes, took our box to the post office and sent it on its way.
The big event for the day was a visit to Sunny and diane Banks. They winter about an hour and a half from here in a community called Avon. When we arrived I laid down and had a nap because I was really feeling terrible. Ken visited with Diane and then went to the car race sight where sunny volunteers. He really enjoyed it which made me feel better. Basically Ken has had no time for fun because he would not leave me in the unit alone. Again I must say how thankful I am that this monster cold did not happen at the beginning of the cruise.
Diane is a retired nurse and when I told her about this and how it developed. How it was just a sore throat for days and then became this terrible cold she figures that I had a viral infection during the first 5 days and when my resistance was down a bacterial infection got me. She figures a doctor will give me an antibiotic when we get back to Abbotsford.
Diane was a pet and she prepared a wonderful meal for us , a meal that included fresh from the oven rolls. I ate and it felt good for the first time in day.
We left there around 7:30 and Ken had no trouble getting us back here even in the dark.
I got some sleep through the night and I feel a little better this morning. I just got out of a nice shower .
Today we are in a holding pattern basically. Our plane leaves at 6:54am tomorrow. We have closed the suitcases and both are around 47 pounds so we should be just fine. I am hoping the coughing will subside today. I can only imagine how upset passengers will be if I am coughing constantly while in the air.
In the mean time all is well and we are relaxing and looking forward to being home soon.
I will post one more time before I close off this adventure of 49 days.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Monster Cold!!!
I have concluded that this is the cold from hell. I cough and cough and cough. It sounds like whooping cough. I can't sleep and I can't eat and I am going through enough meds and tissue to cure 6 colds. There have been times when I am sure I heard the death rattle my grandmother used to talk about. But I did get a little rest last night so perhaps that is a good sign. I am so glad I got this at the end of the cruise and not the beginning!!!!
We are settle in at the Westgate Palace resort, on the 14th floor, looking out over a lot of stuff including the resort pool. We are looking at the attraction called Wet and Wild. It is an amazing waterpark. I am pretty sure Universal is out there as well. At night there are fireworks which should mean Disney World but I have been too sick to pay much attention. I only know there are lots and lots of colored lights as far as the eye can see.
Yesterday, we went down by the pool for the owners continental breakfast. Then I laid around and coughed for a few hours, then we went out to Walmart and got some groceries. We sure can't go out to eat when I have this horrible cough. Anyway the condo is a 2 bedroom with capabilities to sleep 6. There are 2 full baths, one with a shower for 2 and the other has a soaker tub and a shower. There are 3 flat screen tv's a living room dining room kitchen combination room. The kitchen is fully equipped and I do mean fully. The only thing that is missing so far is napkins. No food at all, not even coffee.
We rented a car and it is a Toyota corolla, and it is very nice. Ken is doing the driving of course and he has yet to figure out the cruise control but I have solved the AC.
It is not really a surprise but our suitcases are overweight... imagine that... They weren't overweight when we left. Could it be that I shopped too much??
Not me!! It has to be that snorkel mask that Ken picked up.:-)
So we went to the post office and picked up one of those boxes where you pay a flat fee to send anything anywhere in the US if it fits into the box. We will send things to our US mail box. We got the large size. It really isn't large but the box is free and it goes for 18.00 to ship and it should hold all of the heavy things. I bought hot sauces and other cooking things not even considering that they would weigh too much. That is a much better solution than buying another suitcase and paying 35.00 to include it. We will send it on Friday. Sometime today we will see how much it will handle and see if it solves our weight problem.
We are supposed to be meeting our friends, Nancy and Cliff from Cocoa Florida on Thursday. We are meeting for dinner. They are coming to Orlando instead of us driving to Cocoa. Our rental has unlimited mileage so it would not matter; either way would have been fine.
We will check out some of the attractions and see what might interest us. I don't like rides because I get sick but I would like to go to Epcot. BUT it looks as if the tickets are 100.00 US per person. I am not impressed. We will see. There are a few different dinner theatre things that look interesting. We will see what we decide to do. The pool here is great and they have it nice and warm so I can see us spending time there.
We fly out at 7 am on Sunday morning. Len and Ellenor are coming into Richmound to pick us up. We get to Abby around two pm. Except for this dumb ass cold this adventure has been perfect.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Orlando Arrival
We had no trouble at all when it came to leaving the ship. It went so smoothly. Princess has this down to a science.
However.... there were 6 cruise ships in the harbour today and taxis were at a premium for sure. We had to stand in line for almost an hour to get a cab.
The porter took us and our luggage outside and he explained how the system worked. He parked me and the luggage at the beginning of the line, just opposite the spot where you would get into a cab , then he pointed Ken in the direction of the end of the line. The plan was I would watch the luggage and wait and then when Ken finally arrived I would join him with the luggage at the front of the line. Simple enough. I pulled out my sun hat and waited, Ken went WAY down to the end of the line.
Well a couple from somewhere in the southern US arrived with their porter and when all was explained to them they refused ton co-operate. The man insisted he was going to get into the first taxi he saw. Well the drivers know the rules and there is a sheriff there to make certain the rules are enforced. Well this guy would not let the porter unload the luggage and he kept darting ahead to try to get into a cab. Of course the cabbies would not take them. Finally the porter unloaded the luggage in the designated spot and would you believe the client refused ton pay? This was a very busy morning and for the porters time is money. This poor man had spent 20 minutes with these yahoos and gained nothing and in the mean time he could have been earning. But the southern Gentleman??? insisted that because the porter had not gotten him a cab he would not be paid. I felt so sorry for the porter. Well the couple in question still refused to co-operate and they stood together with their luggage.They tried again without success to butt into line. So I called the sheriff over and told him what was going on and he went over and spoke to them about and explain again how the procedure worked.
They left and the last I saw them they were trying to break the rules and put themselves to the front of the shuttle line.
Ken finally appeared and we had the cab take us to the car rental office. Things went without a hitch there we picked up our car. It is a little 4 door white Toyota. Amazingly the trunk in this is bigger than the trunk in the cab , our 2 suitcases sat side by side.
Ken hooked up our GPS and away we went. It was a beautiful day for a drive and we had no problems at all. We stopped at a WalGreens to get me some cold meds. This cold will not let go and now my sinus are involved and I went through 2 full boxes of tissue yesterday. My nose is so sore and I am feeling quite miserable. But I got some soft tissue, aahhh!
Well my favorite place to eat when I am in southern US is Cracker Barrel. We found one( there were many) and had lunch there. We had not been thinking about the fact that it was sunday and the after church crowd would be there. We saw many older ladies in their "Sunday Go To Meeting" clothes. It was great to see the fine dresses and matching hats and shoes. Ken had meatloaf, I had chicken soup but I couldn't eat it all. I got a box and took it with me.
NUVI brought us right to the door. Checking in was not a problem. The Westgate Palace is just that quite elegant to say the least.
It was not long before we had called it a night I was so worn out by this cold.
We are here until Sunday so I will tell you more about it in my next post..
However.... there were 6 cruise ships in the harbour today and taxis were at a premium for sure. We had to stand in line for almost an hour to get a cab.
The porter took us and our luggage outside and he explained how the system worked. He parked me and the luggage at the beginning of the line, just opposite the spot where you would get into a cab , then he pointed Ken in the direction of the end of the line. The plan was I would watch the luggage and wait and then when Ken finally arrived I would join him with the luggage at the front of the line. Simple enough. I pulled out my sun hat and waited, Ken went WAY down to the end of the line.
Well a couple from somewhere in the southern US arrived with their porter and when all was explained to them they refused ton co-operate. The man insisted he was going to get into the first taxi he saw. Well the drivers know the rules and there is a sheriff there to make certain the rules are enforced. Well this guy would not let the porter unload the luggage and he kept darting ahead to try to get into a cab. Of course the cabbies would not take them. Finally the porter unloaded the luggage in the designated spot and would you believe the client refused ton pay? This was a very busy morning and for the porters time is money. This poor man had spent 20 minutes with these yahoos and gained nothing and in the mean time he could have been earning. But the southern Gentleman??? insisted that because the porter had not gotten him a cab he would not be paid. I felt so sorry for the porter. Well the couple in question still refused to co-operate and they stood together with their luggage.They tried again without success to butt into line. So I called the sheriff over and told him what was going on and he went over and spoke to them about and explain again how the procedure worked.
They left and the last I saw them they were trying to break the rules and put themselves to the front of the shuttle line.
Ken finally appeared and we had the cab take us to the car rental office. Things went without a hitch there we picked up our car. It is a little 4 door white Toyota. Amazingly the trunk in this is bigger than the trunk in the cab , our 2 suitcases sat side by side.
Ken hooked up our GPS and away we went. It was a beautiful day for a drive and we had no problems at all. We stopped at a WalGreens to get me some cold meds. This cold will not let go and now my sinus are involved and I went through 2 full boxes of tissue yesterday. My nose is so sore and I am feeling quite miserable. But I got some soft tissue, aahhh!
Well my favorite place to eat when I am in southern US is Cracker Barrel. We found one( there were many) and had lunch there. We had not been thinking about the fact that it was sunday and the after church crowd would be there. We saw many older ladies in their "Sunday Go To Meeting" clothes. It was great to see the fine dresses and matching hats and shoes. Ken had meatloaf, I had chicken soup but I couldn't eat it all. I got a box and took it with me.
NUVI brought us right to the door. Checking in was not a problem. The Westgate Palace is just that quite elegant to say the least.
It was not long before we had called it a night I was so worn out by this cold.
We are here until Sunday so I will tell you more about it in my next post..
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Stop Cancelled
Well this
amazing cruise is about to come to an end. This is the last sea day and
tomorrow we are at Princess Cays and on Sunday we disembark.
If you have
been following the blog you know how much of an adventure it has been. The only
damper on the whole thing has been this humdinger of a cold that I caught a
couple of days ago. I am happy to report that the prognosis is good and it
appears as if I will survive. I have spent most of yesterday and today in bed,
coughing and sneezing and blowing. I expect to be back to normal by the time we
get to Orlando.
Today was the complimentary wine tasting and we didn’t
go. I have been trying not to spread germs and that is such a large gathering I
figured it best to stay away. We have been to the previous three and the wines
are usually the same.
Tomorrow is
the final day and we have to have our packed suitcases out by the door by ten O’clock
pm.
In the
afternoon we picked up out folder of photos and went through them. We selected
three that we wanted to buy and turned the rest in. It always amazes me when I
see the number of pictures they have taken.
I went to
dinner but I was only there long enough to take 2 bited of the appetizer. I
could not eat , this cold is really doing a number on me.
I spent a
very restless night, coughing. Now my chest is really sore. This cold is weird
in that it is not in my sinus cavity, just in my throat and chest.
This
morning it is quite windy and the captain has decided to abort the stop at
Princess Cays. I was trying to decide if
I felt well enough to go to shore and now I don’t have to decide.
Port
Everglades in the morning.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Sick
Yesterday morning I
noticed that my throat was a bit sore and by last evening it was more
uncomfortable and this morning it is a full blown sore throat. We had planned
to go over to St.John with a CC group. We have never been there and that would
have been nice but we this sore throat I decided to pass and Ken didn’t go
either. I have spent most of the morning napping on and off and sucking on
throat lozenges. This is the last formal night so I hope I feel up to going.
Lobster, yumm.
We are currently docked
in beautiful St.Thomas and the day is
bright and sunny.
The day was spent
resting but I did get to formal night
and the comedian in Explorers last night.
But I spent a pretty
rough night, coughing, sneezing and just generally being sick. This is now a
very bad cold complete with a runny nose, a cough, a sore chest and a buzzy
head, So quess what I will be doing today???… resting, blowing and napping.
Thankfully it is a sea day and I have already done almost everything scheduled
in the patter.
I will keep you updated.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Fear Conquered
Hey, I did it, I did it
, I did it.
I organized a river
tubing tour with Anton Tours in Dominica and for the past couple of months I
wondered if I had made a big mistake.
I am such a chicken when
it comes to anything involving water and Ken knew that and wondered and asked
me if I was a bit nuts to take such an adventure. But this was going to be a
test of my courage.
We were picked up at
9:30 and we were given a tour of the area including the botanical gardens and a
special look off point. Then we were delivered to the spot on the river where
the tour was to begin.
We were strapped into
life jackets, then helmets and finally shown how to get onto the tube which
would carry us down the river. I was nervous to say the least. There was a
group of 4 young men there and I felt better when I realized they would be in
the water with us the entire time. We were shown how to hang on tight and told
not to reach for overhanging branches and the like. We were also instructed to
try and lift up our butts when we come to big rocks.
Well soon we were on our
way down the river. There were rapids and there were calm spots. Whenever we
ended up not in the main stream and becalmed one of the young men would appear
and get us going again. When they got to us they would push us out into the
main flowing water and give our tube a spin as it went by. So we would go
bobbing up and down and through the rapids spinning as we went. It was
wonderful. The water was fast enough to be exciting but not so fast to be
frightening. I was having a fantastic time. I was not afraid and it was exhilarating
to be sure. In the calm spots I would lie back and look up at the clouds and
the jungle trees. In the fast spots I would hang on for dear life, squealing
with delight as I went. Ken was keeping an eye making certain I was fine and
when I saw him I would let go of the handle just long enough to wave and assure
him that I was fine.
We were not turning all of the time but before
long I knew I was going to be in trouble. In case you don’t know I get motion
sick. It never occurred to me to take my Gravol before this adventure began.
Well you haven’t lived
until you are lying on your back on a tube in a quickly flowing river and
vomiting as you go. I could not get turned over because I certainly wasn’t
letting go of the hand holds. I was in a mess to be sure but after less than a
minute one of the young men came to my rescue. He got me over to the side and
out of the water. After I washed off a little and was feeling steady he got me
back on the tube and he held on to my tube from his tube and he got us through
the next set of rapids and on to a sand bar. The driver and the bus met us
there and I got out of the water and rode the rest of the way in the van.
Actually there was only about 7 minutes left so I almost made it all of the
way. The sad part was the fact that my stomach was so upset that I was not able
to have one of the wonderful rum punch that they served at the landing. I had a
little sip of Ken’s but I passed on having one of my own.
We were loaded up and
taken back to the ship. We got back around one.
Would I do it again??
You Bet
Was it a highlight of
this trip?
It sure was.
Am I glad that I did it?
I certainly am.
Do I recommend it?.
Yes, yes, yes!
BUT if you are inclined
to get motion sick be sure to take a tablet before you get into the van.
Thank you Anton Tours.
It was a day to remember and one I won’t soon forget.
Grenada, the Spice Island
Grenada, the Spice
Island.
We arrived here at noon
and we were in a complete quandary as to what we should do for the day. Last
time here we took the tour on the Rhum Runner II so we really did not explore
the island. I knew that this was the place I wanted to buy spices from but that
was all I knew for sure. Ken seemed to be rather ambivalent as well. He is not
saying he is tired in fact he keeps joking crying and saying how sad he is that
he must leave the ship. I assured him that there was not one person on board
who was feeling sorry for him. Anyway he didn’t seem to have a preference as to
what he wanted to do for the day. While we were trying to decide Marilyn of Marilyn
and Hank called to find out what we were going to do. It was decided that we
would all four go to shore together and probably take the tour called The
Grenada Discovery Tour.
We decided on the Hop On
Hop Off bus, actually it was not really a bus. It was a kind of vehicle with
open cars and benches and it was made to sort of look like a train.
Anyway it cost 20.00 per
person, each trip was 45 minutes long and you could go around as many times as
you wished. It was decided to do the entire loop the first time and then make
choices the second time. The town was VERY hilly , the streets were very
narrow, many places did not have side walks
and vehicles seemed to be parked everywhere;so we were glad to not be
walking.
There were many new
buildings and many more damaged buildings. There was a bad hurricane here in
2005 and the island is in various stages of rebuilding. One of the big old
churches no longer has a roof, so sad.
Marilyn and Hank decided
to visit Fort George on the second time around and Ken and I decided to visit
the museum. Marilyn said there was not much at the fort but the view made the
stop worthwhile. Ken and I really enjoyed the museum. In fact we could have
stayed for an hour and a half and not just the 45 minutes.
On the return we saw many
school children in their various school uniforms. The island is very clean and
the people are all well turned out.
On the return we stopped at a few of the Kiosks
and purchased the spice assortment gifts for friends.
We went to the evening show which was the last
performance of the dance troop that is leaving. It was great as usual.
To end the evening we
went for our coffee nightcap.
Tomorrow we are river
tubing in Dominica.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Deserted uninhabited Island
Monday, March 3/2014
This is getting to be
too much. I just had to stop and ask myself… Where were we yesterday??
Oh yes, yesterday we
were in Klein Bonaire. The stop was from nine until two so we had breakfast
early . We were on the balcony when a pod of porpoise decided to swim by. I
think I got a good picture. It turned out to be the last zoom picture because
after the first one the camera refused to zoom. I don’t know what the problem
is but I may have to get a new camera.
We were ready to
disembark soon after docking. We remembered that Alice had gone there during
our last visit to Bonaire so we should do it too. So we dressed in swimwear and
cover ups and away we went. Right at the end of the pier was an information
station and they directed us to the water taxi stand. The cost of the taxi was $20.00
return, each. The taxi would be leaving in 10 minutes and it left Bonaire on
the hour and returned on the half hour so that was great .
We left at nine and
returned on the 11:30. It was perfect.
This desert island was flat with no
trees but there were some low bushes. The sun was hot but there was a very nice
breeze. The water was so clear it was almost as if it was not there. Ken took
his snorkel and mask and he said there were amazing numbers of fish. I paddled
around and really enjoyed my time on Klein Bonaire. There were lots of people there
and everyone was enjoying the water and the sand.
When we returned to
Bonaire we roamed into and out of a few shops but we bought nothing. Soon it
was time to board the ship and have our favorite lunch of quiche and salad at
the international café.
Today was the Captain
Circle Party so we had to be on our way to Club Fusion by five. It was a nice
get together as usual and Sandeep made certain we were well taken care of.
It
seems that most of the staff is recognizing us now. They all seem to be
thinking.. Are they still here? This is our last week so sad!!
We went right from the
party to dinner taking our cocktail with us. After dinner we went to the
Princess Theatre. Tonight was the first
performance of the new cast. The changeover is about the take place. The
singers and dancers are finished their 6 months and they get a month off before
boarding another ship. So every six months a passenger gets to see two
different troops. Tomorrow will be the last show for the old group. Anyway the
new troop is very good as we would expect, however the voices of the main stars doesn’t
seem to be as strong.
After the show we
returned here and ended our day.
Tomorrow we are in
Grenada. This is where I will be shopping for all of the spices.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Mardi Gras in Aruba
Well I missed a day and
it is more difficult to do 2 days at once but here it goes.
Yesterday we were in
Aruba and as I told you it is the island that celebrates Mardi Gras.
We got up fairly early
because the ship was docking at eight and we wanted to see her come in. The
port of Aruba is a bit different in that it has a fairly wide sandbar quite
close to the dock. There is a fairly good sized tree or bush growing on that
sandbar and I am always keen to watch the ship avoid this obstacle. Needless to
say the captain was successful and we docked without incident. We enjoyed our
usual room service on our balcony. It was so peaceful and quiet because we were
facing the sea and sand bar and not the busy port.
After breakfast we
dressed and went ashore to browse a little. I already had gifts for Noah and
Leo and Emmie but I came back with a tee for each of them anyway. It is a good
thing I have lots of suitcase space.
We had lunch on board and
then we had to decide when we would return to the main street for the parade.
When we were ashore this morning we were showed the parade route and told it
might be in this area after two o’clock. So we went to deck seven to wait and
see if we could hear the music, which would signal arrival of the parade. Well
we heard a little so we left the ship around 1:45. We walked to what we thought
might be a good area and it was not long before we spotted Marilyn and Hank our
dinner table companions. We decided to wait with them. They were on a marble
bench and it had space for a couple more. The streets and sidewalks were filled
with people but not overly crowded. There was music coming from many of the
vendors and shops but the parade was not to be seen. It was hot and we had a
little shade and there was a breeze that made it bearable. But around 3:30
there was still no sign of the parade and we were getting tired of all of the
cement. I decided that if the parade had not begun by four I was going to
return to the ship. Well at 3:58 the first float appeared. It was worth the
wait. The floats and costumes were amazing.The bands used speakers the likes of
which we have never seen or heard before. They were huge and it took semi
trucks to carry them. At one point the music was so powerful I could feel it
through the asphalt. There was one group after the other and the costumes were
more and more spectacular. We watched and cheered for over an hour and then it
was time to leave. It was almost dinner time on board and the sun had gotten to
us and we were so tired of standing on cement.
We made it back in time
for dinner and then after dinner we saw the show at the Princess Theatre. It
starred Bobby Brooks Wilson, the son of
the late Jackie Wilson. The show was fantastic and we loved singing along with
the old songs.
But by the time the show
was finished so were we. Too much sun and fun. It was time to say night night!!
Sunday, March 2, 2014
In Like a Lamb???
March First
In like a lamb??? The
old wives saying that if March comes in like a lamb it will go out like a lion
had better not be true for this area of the planet because this is a
magnificent day. No lion like weather here. It is eighty degrees with a very
slight breeze and calm seas. You just have to love it.
The upper decks are
quite busy with the new arrivals trying to get a tan so Ken is enjoying our
balcony instead of battling the crowds.
There was a teachers get
together this morning but we didn’t go. Just didn’t feel like taking part.
After a later breakfast in our room I went to see the Captain Circle host to
get our cruise numbers adjusted. Then I went to the Holiday at sea event.
Basically it is like a big garage sale. I remember shopping like someone obsessed
the first time I was exposed to one of these but now I seldom buy anything. Two
cruises ago I saw a nice fun watch but the line up to cash out was crazy so I
put the watch back. But since then I have been thinking that I made a mistake.
After all it was only ten dollars and what harm could there be in owning
another ten dollar watch??:-). So I went back today and found another one like
it in the pile of watches. So I bought it and now I need to figure out how to
make it smaller, three links need to come out.
I watch some of the
fruit and vegetable demonstration. These guys are great.
After my big shopping
spree I met Ken for lunch. Today was English Pub Lunch and it is the first of
March so we had English Fish and Chips… yeah French Fries. Hee hee. For those
of you who don’t know I only allow myself to eat fries once a month so this is
March and I could have them. This is a long month so I know I will be sorry for
having given in so early but they were so good. Nice and crispy on the outside
and soft and wonderful on the inside. YUM!!!!
This is a formal night
with the Captain’s welcome aboard party so time to fuss.
We enjoyed our chocolate
covered strawberries and got dressed for dinner. We walked the stairs avoiding
the elevator, something we have done all day, both up and down by the way.
Anyway as we arrived at deck five there on the phone in front of us was a man
in a white uniform with burgundy shoulder epilates. When he looked up I realized
it was Vincente…a former room steward of ours. He recognized us as well and
there was lots of hugging and photo taking etc. He has been promoted to
supervisor and looks absolutely amazing in his uniform. It did our hearts good
to see that he is advancing in his career and that he is well. Hopefully we can
get together before this cruise is over to catch up and perhaps have a coffee
together. What a pleasant surprise this was. (He has been onboard the entire
time and this is the first time I have seen him)
Dinner was great as
usual, we had great visits and then we headed out to the piazza and picked up a
glass of champagne. Then we quickly headed for Explorers, not stopping to see
the champagne waterfall. Even with that we almost didn’t get a seat. Everyone
wanted to see the performance by the ventriloquist, Mark Merchant. He did not
disappoint, he brought the house down with his three new puppets, and the
audience participation. His jokes were wonderful
Do you know what a
Canadian is? A Canadian is an unarmed American with health care.
After the show we
attempted to go to the Princess Theatre for the production show but it was too
late the theatre was already full.
We came back to our
stateroom, changed clothes and went down to the International Café for our
usual night cap and then off to bed.
Another busy event filled
day..
Tomorrow Carnival and
Aruba!!!
Saturday, March 1, 2014
February 28/2014
The fourth cruise has
begun very nicely. It is a calm sunny day and we began it with our usual room
service breakfast. Imade was not our waiter which was disappointing. But the
new waiter was friendly enough. The strawberries are not great but the raspberries
are wonderful. Ken had his breakfast sandwich but he said it was not hot.
Before long it was time
to head up to Skywalkers for the meet and greet. There was a very nice turnout
and all but one of the couples from the River Tubing excursion checked it. There
were about 40 people there I guess and we had a visit from JJ the cruise
director. He informed us that because of Daylight Savings Time we would not get
back the hour we lost last night.
He also let us know that
we are one of the 4 ships that will not be getting coverage of the Oscars. That
bummed out some of the people but it didn’t bother me.
The exciting news that
he had was about Aruba. Apparently only one of the Caribbean Islands celebrates
Mardi Gras and has a big celebration for Carnival and that is Aruba. There will
be a big parade and lots of festivities taking place on Sunday when we are in
Port. So we have changed our plans. We will not be heading out to a beach. We
will take in the festivities and hope to get a lot of wonderful pictures. I
must make certain that my battery is fully charged.
After the meet and greet
Ken picked up some fruit from the buffet and that is what we had for lunch.
I went to the art
auction again this afternoon. It was fun and I won another prize.
Then I finished the
afternoon by do some e-mail and some cleaning and before we knew it time had
come to get ready for dinner.
This time all was well
and our proper group was at the table. After dinner we went to the Art Gallery
because I had to choose what I wanted for my raffle prizes. It is hard to call
it a prize when you have to pay 50.00 to ship them home in a tube or 300.00 to
have them framed and shipped. I will ship them home in a tube and then decide
what to do with them. They are really quite lovely so we will see. He says that
by not spending the money to frame them they will probably end up in the tube
under the bed. Perhaps he is right.
Next we stopped at the
Piazza deck 5 and watched an amazing balancing act. It was Lobo and Lucy. His
sense of balance was uncanny. You cannot believe what you are seeing.
After that
we went to the Princess Theatre. The act tonight was a mentalist. His name is
Brent Webb. I know I use the word amazing far too often but he was truly
amazing. I can never believe what I have just seen when I go to see a
mentalist. You know there is a way these things are done but you sure can’t
figure out how.
Our last stop for the
evening was back at the International Café for our usual night cap. It was not
too busy and we were able to visit with another couple. We did not exchange
names but we did chat for about a half hour. By then it was almost eleven so we
called it a night and headed up to our room.
A good beginning for
number four!!