i have a horrible memory. so i like to take my laptop with me on my trips so i can document what happens each day or i will never remember it when i get home. and writing it out is just to much of a pain. last cruise, i took my laptop and wrote every night about the happenings of each day. it worked out well. then when i got home, i just copy and pasted everything into each blog entry.
well, sad story now. i took my laptop with me on our cruise to mexico. the first day, i pull it out and turn it on. and it just sits there. does nothing. great. luckily, kerry is in the computer business, so i figure he can fix it. not so. it had some bizarre error that he wasn't familiar with and needed the internet to fix it. which sucks, since we are in the middle of the pacific!
so needless to say, i didn't get to document this cruise like the last one. i'm sad. so it's pretty much going to just be pictures. which, after we got home, i realized we didn't take nearly as many. oh well. live and learn, i guess.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Sunday, October 26, 2008
mexican riviera...
here we come!! it's official and paid for!! we are going to go to the mexican riviera on jan 31. we are trying a new line this time and going with princess. i can't wait!!!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Caribbean Cruise...Day 7
Day 7– April 10, 2008
Location: Castaries, St. Lucia
Weather: scattered showers/partly cloudy, 79 degrees, rough seas
Excursion: Marigot Beach
Distance sailed from Miami: 1769 miles
Today was a great day! Well, it started off not so great, but it got better! We stayed out a little late last night at the casino. That and I couldn’t sleep really well since I took a humongo nap yesterday and I’m still feeling like crap from this stupid cold. So who knows if we just slept through the alarm this morning (that was set for 7am) or if it just didn’t go off. Either way, we missed the alarm.
Our beach excursion was supposed to meet at 830 am. Well, Kerry got up to use the facilities and was wondering what time it was, when lo and behold, it was 831. Oh crap!!! So we made record time getting our swimsuits on and beach bag together and ran down to the theater, which was the designated meeting spot. It was 843. We asked one of the excursion staff if it was too late and our tour bus had just left. We were able to get on a different excursion to a different beach, though. So all was not lost. This excursion was a little longer, with the bus ride taking 45 minutes each way. But along the way we ad a lovely tour of the island. St. Lucia is a huge producer of bananas, plantains, mangos (they have over 50 different kinds!), pineapple and coconuts. It was cool to see all the banana plantations and trees along the sides of the roads with tons of mangos growing on them. The flowers on the island were also amazing. Such vibrant colors. Unfortunately, we bought sucky rechargeable batteries for the camera that only lasted about 45 minutes. What the heck? So we didn’t get any pictures of any of hem. Nice. They are going back as soon as we get home.
The place we went was Marigot Bay Beach. Not a huge beach, but it was very nice. It was also the beach for a resort, so it wasn’t very crowded. The morning started with a few rain showers, but by the time we got to the beach, it had stopped raining, but was sill cloudy. The bay was very shallow…...you could walk out quite a ways and the water was only up to your knees. It was very nice. The local entrepreneurs were also out. Kerry had an offer for a few different, uh, illegal mind altering substances, which he promptly declined. I found a cool necklace (that was probably made in china!) and bracelet. After a few hours at the beach, we got back on the bus and headed back to the ship. Of course as soon as we drove away, the sun came out from behind the clouds. Go figure.
Nothing exciting to note tonight as we sailed away from our last port of call. I can’t believe that our amazing vacation is almost over. We got cleaned up and I headed up to deck 13 to catch a few rays, or rather a few clouds. I just wanted some time to stretch out on a lounger, relax, and finish a book.
Our timing was off again for trying to see a show. We had dinner again at Cagney’s Steakhouse. Once again, it was so delish! More gambling after dinner, along with not winning the $163000 lotto. Bummer. Another $50 down the slots and I left Kerry at the poker table and headed back to the room to go to bed. I am beat!
The next two days we are at sea on our return voyage to Miami. Bummer.
Location: Castaries, St. Lucia
Weather: scattered showers/partly cloudy, 79 degrees, rough seas
Excursion: Marigot Beach
Distance sailed from Miami: 1769 miles
Today was a great day! Well, it started off not so great, but it got better! We stayed out a little late last night at the casino. That and I couldn’t sleep really well since I took a humongo nap yesterday and I’m still feeling like crap from this stupid cold. So who knows if we just slept through the alarm this morning (that was set for 7am) or if it just didn’t go off. Either way, we missed the alarm.
Our beach excursion was supposed to meet at 830 am. Well, Kerry got up to use the facilities and was wondering what time it was, when lo and behold, it was 831. Oh crap!!! So we made record time getting our swimsuits on and beach bag together and ran down to the theater, which was the designated meeting spot. It was 843. We asked one of the excursion staff if it was too late and our tour bus had just left. We were able to get on a different excursion to a different beach, though. So all was not lost. This excursion was a little longer, with the bus ride taking 45 minutes each way. But along the way we ad a lovely tour of the island. St. Lucia is a huge producer of bananas, plantains, mangos (they have over 50 different kinds!), pineapple and coconuts. It was cool to see all the banana plantations and trees along the sides of the roads with tons of mangos growing on them. The flowers on the island were also amazing. Such vibrant colors. Unfortunately, we bought sucky rechargeable batteries for the camera that only lasted about 45 minutes. What the heck? So we didn’t get any pictures of any of hem. Nice. They are going back as soon as we get home.
The place we went was Marigot Bay Beach. Not a huge beach, but it was very nice. It was also the beach for a resort, so it wasn’t very crowded. The morning started with a few rain showers, but by the time we got to the beach, it had stopped raining, but was sill cloudy. The bay was very shallow…...you could walk out quite a ways and the water was only up to your knees. It was very nice. The local entrepreneurs were also out. Kerry had an offer for a few different, uh, illegal mind altering substances, which he promptly declined. I found a cool necklace (that was probably made in china!) and bracelet. After a few hours at the beach, we got back on the bus and headed back to the ship. Of course as soon as we drove away, the sun came out from behind the clouds. Go figure.
Nothing exciting to note tonight as we sailed away from our last port of call. I can’t believe that our amazing vacation is almost over. We got cleaned up and I headed up to deck 13 to catch a few rays, or rather a few clouds. I just wanted some time to stretch out on a lounger, relax, and finish a book.
Our timing was off again for trying to see a show. We had dinner again at Cagney’s Steakhouse. Once again, it was so delish! More gambling after dinner, along with not winning the $163000 lotto. Bummer. Another $50 down the slots and I left Kerry at the poker table and headed back to the room to go to bed. I am beat!
The next two days we are at sea on our return voyage to Miami. Bummer.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Caribbean Cruise...Day 6
Day 6– April 9, 2008
Location: Bridgetown, Barbados
Weather: partly cloudy, 80 degrees, rough seas
Excursion: none
Distance sailed: 1630 miles
Today we had no excursions planned. After the day on the catamaran yesterday and most the day in the sun, we were beat. Plus, I had managed to get a nasty cold somewhere along the way, so the past two days I have felt like hud. Add that to dehydration and too much sun and today I feel even worse. So we decided to just take it easy today.
We headed into the port to look around and see what shops were there. The port mall was little with a few duty free shops, some jewelry stores and the various local shops. We didn’t find much that interested us, so we thought about trying to go find a taxi to take us somewhere took one look out at the crowd and decided to just head back to the ship and relax.
So back to the ship it was. And of course, after grabbing something to eat, we took a nap. What would a day on vacation be without a nap?? Dinner tonight was at teppenyaki again. It was equally delightful and entertaining as the first night and was just as good. We sat next to a nice couple from Cincinnati that we seem to keep bumping into. We are even on the same beach trip tomorrow. They were also on the catamaran sail yesterday.
After dinner, we were too late for a show, so we went to the casino for more slots and poker. Tonight wasn’t as profitable or lucky for me on the slots. Oh well. Can’t win every night, I guess!!
Location: Bridgetown, Barbados
Weather: partly cloudy, 80 degrees, rough seas
Excursion: none
Distance sailed: 1630 miles
Today we had no excursions planned. After the day on the catamaran yesterday and most the day in the sun, we were beat. Plus, I had managed to get a nasty cold somewhere along the way, so the past two days I have felt like hud. Add that to dehydration and too much sun and today I feel even worse. So we decided to just take it easy today.
We headed into the port to look around and see what shops were there. The port mall was little with a few duty free shops, some jewelry stores and the various local shops. We didn’t find much that interested us, so we thought about trying to go find a taxi to take us somewhere took one look out at the crowd and decided to just head back to the ship and relax.
So back to the ship it was. And of course, after grabbing something to eat, we took a nap. What would a day on vacation be without a nap?? Dinner tonight was at teppenyaki again. It was equally delightful and entertaining as the first night and was just as good. We sat next to a nice couple from Cincinnati that we seem to keep bumping into. We are even on the same beach trip tomorrow. They were also on the catamaran sail yesterday.
After dinner, we were too late for a show, so we went to the casino for more slots and poker. Tonight wasn’t as profitable or lucky for me on the slots. Oh well. Can’t win every night, I guess!!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Caribbean Cruise...Day 5
Day 5– April 8, 2008
Location: St John’s, Antigua
Weather: partly cloudy, 78 degrees, rough seas
Excursion: Catamaran Sail
Distance sailed from Miami: 1300 nautical miles
Oh my. Where do I even begin to describe today? You know those postcards that show the pictures of the ocean with various shades of blue and green with the white beaches and palm trees? That’s where we went today and what we saw. Simply amazing!!! Our excursion today was a catamaran sail with a stop for snorkeling, an hour on the beach and lunch on the boat. Holy blue waters, batman!!! First off, it started out meeting with the group of people that were going on the trip. I was a bit skeptical since there were about 50 people and when we saw the boat, I thought there was no way we were all going to fit. Well, we did, just barely. The boat was manned by a 3 man crew and a captain. The group was Wadadli Cats. We headed off out of the port to start the journey. As soon as we headed out of the port, the water turned the most amazing shade of blue-green. And it just kept getting better the farther we went out.
We sailed for about 30 minutes out in the middle of the ocean where there was a huge coral reef that we were going to snorkel at. Those of us that were going to snorkel got all geared up and we jumped in the water. It was a bit chilly at first, but once you were in, it was so nice. And there were tons a fish. Now I’ve never snorkeled before. And due to a little near drowning incident when I was younger, I’m kind of wuss when it comes to swimming in large bodies of water with no real ground underneath. And the whole mask and snorkel thing was foreign to me. But once I figured out that I didn’t have to freak out and hyperventilate and I really could breathe underwater with the snorkel, I had quite a good time. There were big schools offish and they would come right up to you. The reef was pretty cool to look at too. Of course I totally forgot to bring the disposable waterproof camera we got. Oh well. Maybe we will be able to snorkel another day.
After about 40 minutes, we all got back on board and headed off on a 45 minute ride to the island we were going to swim at. The scenery was simply amazing. I can’t do it justice to describe it. Like the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and we took about a hundred of them. We finally got to the island after passing a good portion of the island of Antigua. The little cove and beach the captain had chosen for us to stop at was amazing. Unfortunately the tides were to low so we weren’t able to go up to the beach. So we dropped anchor in the middle of the cove. He did have a little motored raft that he took people in to the beach if they wanted. I was fine just jumping in off the boat and swimming.
After lunch on the boat, which was Caribbean chicken, rice with black beans, some sort of roasted pumpkin, and mac & cheese, I tried my hand at snorkeling a second time. This time it went much smoother. The water was calmer and now I had a better idea of what I needed to do. The water was crystal clear. You could see all the way to the bottom, about 14 feet, and it reflected light as if it were a swimming pool. And it was the most amazing shade of blue. The bottom of the cove was made up of sand and coral reefs. I saw a bunch of fish, of course I don’t know what kind they were, but they were very pretty. Stripped ones and these really pretty electric blue and yellow fish. They looked like the kind you would find in a huge salt water aquarium. I also saw a ton of sand dollars, but apparently it’s against the law to remove anything from a reef. So I didn’t touch anything.
After an hour of swimming and snorkeling, it was time to head back to the ship. It was a 45 minute ride back, but the last part of the way, the captain cut the engines and put up the sails and we sailed the rest of the way. Truly amazing. It was such a cool experience. The crew was very nice and had a continuous supply of beverages for all of us. I wonder how many cases of beer they went through today!! That was the nice thing, too. It was 5.2% alcohol, none of that crap 3.2 Utah beer!! After two of them, I was feeling quite nice!!! It was called Carib Lager and it was mighty tasty. Of course it was ice cold and so refreshing in the sun and heat. I’m surprised I was able to swim after a few more!!
Once we got back on the ship, we did the standard shower and clean up and took a nap. A day in the sun wears you out. Then we went to the Lotus Garden for some Asian Fusion (whatever that means!) for dinner. It was really good. Pot stickers and tempura shrimp for the appetizer, teriyaki steak and asparagus for dinner. Delish!
We missed yet another show, since we have been planning dinner at the wrong time, so we headed to the casino again after dinner. I took about $60 and lost it all in about 10 minutes. Had to be a new record for me. I found Kerry (at the poker table of course!) and told him I was headed back to the room. He gave me $20 to play on the way out. Well, 3 spins later and I won $120. So I took him back his $20 and put one more twenty in another machine. Ching, ching, ching! $107 again! Woo hoo!! I cashed out and spent about $40 more and went back to the room with my winnings. That casino isn’t too bad!! I’ve left with more than I started with 3 out of 4 nights. Not to shabby!!
Tomorrow we are going to be in Bridgetown, Barbados. I think we may just do a little walking around and shopping. No excursions planned as of now. I might need a day to recover after today!!
Location: St John’s, Antigua
Weather: partly cloudy, 78 degrees, rough seas
Excursion: Catamaran Sail
Distance sailed from Miami: 1300 nautical miles
Oh my. Where do I even begin to describe today? You know those postcards that show the pictures of the ocean with various shades of blue and green with the white beaches and palm trees? That’s where we went today and what we saw. Simply amazing!!! Our excursion today was a catamaran sail with a stop for snorkeling, an hour on the beach and lunch on the boat. Holy blue waters, batman!!! First off, it started out meeting with the group of people that were going on the trip. I was a bit skeptical since there were about 50 people and when we saw the boat, I thought there was no way we were all going to fit. Well, we did, just barely. The boat was manned by a 3 man crew and a captain. The group was Wadadli Cats. We headed off out of the port to start the journey. As soon as we headed out of the port, the water turned the most amazing shade of blue-green. And it just kept getting better the farther we went out.
We sailed for about 30 minutes out in the middle of the ocean where there was a huge coral reef that we were going to snorkel at. Those of us that were going to snorkel got all geared up and we jumped in the water. It was a bit chilly at first, but once you were in, it was so nice. And there were tons a fish. Now I’ve never snorkeled before. And due to a little near drowning incident when I was younger, I’m kind of wuss when it comes to swimming in large bodies of water with no real ground underneath. And the whole mask and snorkel thing was foreign to me. But once I figured out that I didn’t have to freak out and hyperventilate and I really could breathe underwater with the snorkel, I had quite a good time. There were big schools offish and they would come right up to you. The reef was pretty cool to look at too. Of course I totally forgot to bring the disposable waterproof camera we got. Oh well. Maybe we will be able to snorkel another day.
After about 40 minutes, we all got back on board and headed off on a 45 minute ride to the island we were going to swim at. The scenery was simply amazing. I can’t do it justice to describe it. Like the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and we took about a hundred of them. We finally got to the island after passing a good portion of the island of Antigua. The little cove and beach the captain had chosen for us to stop at was amazing. Unfortunately the tides were to low so we weren’t able to go up to the beach. So we dropped anchor in the middle of the cove. He did have a little motored raft that he took people in to the beach if they wanted. I was fine just jumping in off the boat and swimming.
After lunch on the boat, which was Caribbean chicken, rice with black beans, some sort of roasted pumpkin, and mac & cheese, I tried my hand at snorkeling a second time. This time it went much smoother. The water was calmer and now I had a better idea of what I needed to do. The water was crystal clear. You could see all the way to the bottom, about 14 feet, and it reflected light as if it were a swimming pool. And it was the most amazing shade of blue. The bottom of the cove was made up of sand and coral reefs. I saw a bunch of fish, of course I don’t know what kind they were, but they were very pretty. Stripped ones and these really pretty electric blue and yellow fish. They looked like the kind you would find in a huge salt water aquarium. I also saw a ton of sand dollars, but apparently it’s against the law to remove anything from a reef. So I didn’t touch anything.
After an hour of swimming and snorkeling, it was time to head back to the ship. It was a 45 minute ride back, but the last part of the way, the captain cut the engines and put up the sails and we sailed the rest of the way. Truly amazing. It was such a cool experience. The crew was very nice and had a continuous supply of beverages for all of us. I wonder how many cases of beer they went through today!! That was the nice thing, too. It was 5.2% alcohol, none of that crap 3.2 Utah beer!! After two of them, I was feeling quite nice!!! It was called Carib Lager and it was mighty tasty. Of course it was ice cold and so refreshing in the sun and heat. I’m surprised I was able to swim after a few more!!
Once we got back on the ship, we did the standard shower and clean up and took a nap. A day in the sun wears you out. Then we went to the Lotus Garden for some Asian Fusion (whatever that means!) for dinner. It was really good. Pot stickers and tempura shrimp for the appetizer, teriyaki steak and asparagus for dinner. Delish!
We missed yet another show, since we have been planning dinner at the wrong time, so we headed to the casino again after dinner. I took about $60 and lost it all in about 10 minutes. Had to be a new record for me. I found Kerry (at the poker table of course!) and told him I was headed back to the room. He gave me $20 to play on the way out. Well, 3 spins later and I won $120. So I took him back his $20 and put one more twenty in another machine. Ching, ching, ching! $107 again! Woo hoo!! I cashed out and spent about $40 more and went back to the room with my winnings. That casino isn’t too bad!! I’ve left with more than I started with 3 out of 4 nights. Not to shabby!!
Tomorrow we are going to be in Bridgetown, Barbados. I think we may just do a little walking around and shopping. No excursions planned as of now. I might need a day to recover after today!!
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