Home again....

Sunday – Monday    

Ft Lauderdale/Halifax

LAND HO!!

I woke around 6am when the ship docked. Our cabin is right in the front (bow) of the ship, directly under the bridge. We even had a small balcony in front of our room, accessible through a door at the end of the hallway. Technically we are in a handicapped accessible room, and were warned that we would be moved if they needed it for someone in a wheelchair, but they didn't. The room was at the end of the hall, so was long and narrow, but had a big bathroom with no raised areas, so that was lovely.

 

 

There is a lot of motion in the front, but once again, I astonished myself by not getting seasick, and found the motion to be very soothing.  It was, however, LOUD!  A couple of times I woke in the middle of the night, thinking we had just hit something. It sounded like a giant sledgehammer hitting the hull. Turns out that it is the sound when we hit waves, side on. Pretty intense, and we did have a couple of rough nights. But I didn't mind it at all. Amazing.

We decided to join Leslie and Davie for a sit down breakfast in the dining room instead of the buffet. We did need to vacate our cabins and bring our carryon luggage with us, and afterward, we just sat in the Promenade and waited to debark. Debarkation was smooth – off the ship, collect the bags, and go through customs. The buses were ready to take us to the airport, so we were there in lots of time. Too much time – the WestJet counters weren't even open when we arrived, so we stood in a loooong line. Cathie had no luck in changing her flight (she was routed through Quebec City, whereas we were flying direct to Toronto. The irony is that she lives in Toronto, and we just needed to change planes there for Halifax. Silly really – we arrived in her home city hours before she did because of that.) The flights were smooth, and I loved the WestJet infamous humour.  Funniest safety talk EVER!

Arrived in Halifax (around 11pm), and were hungry. Oddly enough, all the restaurants, coffee shops, etc. were closed in the airport, even though flights were still landing. And the airport hotel shuttle driver was miserable! Cranky and irritable. He was so bad we lodged a complaint at the hotel. We also discovered no room service, a closed restaurant, and an out-of-service vending machine. Wahhhhhh!!!!  Leslie went to the front desk and somehow persuaded them to part with some breakfast supplies, so we feasted on yogurt, granola bars and orange juice. It worked. 

We crashed soon after and slept until around 7am. Checked out, loaded the car, and headed home. It was a sunny day, and we made good time, getting home mid-afternoon. I had a quick snuggly reunion with the cats (who then decided to give me the cold shoulder for about half an hour), unpacked (with the cats' help), threw on some laundry, ordered a pizza, and just reacquainted myself with my house and my cats.

I loved my trip, and I love to travel, but, ohhhhh, it is lovely to be home again.

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.

Saint Augustine

Still sailin'....

Saturday – At Sea, closer to Florida....

Up for breakfast, and then no plans at all... just relaxing. There are so many lovely places to just relax here- inside and outside. All the lounges, the promenade for the people watching, the lobby, etc. I'm sure I didn't see half the places where people can go on this ship!

You can tell we are getting closer to Florida. The temperatures are dropping (to high 20s Celsius/ 70s F) and the clouds are increasing. The pools are empty again, and there are lots of chairs available on the decks … perfect weather for me! Was nice just walking around. We had a quick lunch and indulged in the once-a-cruise chocolate extravaganza … Well, Cathie, the chocoholic, indulged, and I nibbled a bit. It was quite overwhelming, but delicious.

We ended up on the mostly deserted Serenity (adults only) deck and enjoyed a few hours of peaceful relaxing. We both brought our e-readers, but ended up reading a bit, and then dozing. It was not exactly chilly, but it was not hot. It had been too hot for me to spend much time on deck prior to this, so it was nice to spend the last day this way.

I ran into Davie inside, on the Promenade (Leslie was napping) when I went for sushi (another afternoon food tradition!). We sat and chatted for a while, and enjoyed the people walking by … including the dozen or so seniors in togas. We never did find out why … but it was pretty funny. I hit some of the shops to stock up on last minute deals on Tshirts, etc., and ran into the 2 ladies from Louisiana.  They were so excited to see me, and couldn't wait to tell me that their meal at the Steakhouse was the best one they ever had!  I'm so glad they went and that they enjoyed it - it's always a bit nerve wracking to recommend something to others.

Then back to the cabin to pack.   The bags needed to be outside the cabin by midnight (they are taken off the ship before we debark) so we just need to keep out a bare minimum of things that will stay in our carryon bags.  And then our last meal in the Chic dining room.  Sigh.  We really liked our wait team – head waiter JR, shy Jose with the silly puzzles, and funny Dewa. We had a small tip for them in an envelope and got hugs from them all when we left for the last time. Davie and Cathi - chocoholics both- usually ordered the warm chocolate melting cake for dessert each night. For some reason, Davie ordered apple pie tonight. Everyone, including the wait staff, stopped and stared at him in shock. Jose brought him his apple pie, as requested, but also brought him the chocolate cake … just because it wasn't right, otherwise! Hahaha! (Yes, he ate them both.)

The show in the Victoriana tonight was a talent impression show by cruise passengers. It was really good- they had been practicing for days. The guy who did James Brown was great, as was the Elvis. Cruise Director Jacques was a hysterical Dolly Parton, and his 2 assistants were a very bad Sonny and Cher duo – we were in stitches.

And then, it was all over. We went to the lobby to listen to the live music there for a while, but debarking was going to start very early, so we turned in. Hard to believe, but it's all done...

Food frenzy:

Breakfast : scrambled eggs, bacon, keilbasa, fruit

Lunch : tacos

             Dessert : Chocolate extravaganza

Supper : fettucine with mushrooms (appetizer)

               Mac 'n' cheese with apple smoked bacon and chicken breast

               Dessert : Grand Marnier souffle

Cat capers :

No problems. Daily email reports all fine on the eastern front.

Sail and sea...

Friday – Sea Day

After 4 busy ports in 4 days, it was very nice to have a relaxing sea day today. Well, sort of relaxing … I ended up doing a lot more than I expected!

Breakfast first, of course. And then, for something completely different, Cathie and I went to a towel animal course. A what, you ask? Carnival Cruise Lines is renowned for its adorable towel animals that the cabin stewards make and leave on the beds each night) along with the pillow chocolates, of course. I'm afraid I didn't have much luck in moving the critters off my bed each night, usually causing their heads to fall off or having their bodies unravel. Sad, really, prompting my cabin mate to shake her head and sadly remark that some people just shouldn't have animals. LOL! So, we took a seminar in how to make them (or repair them, as the case may be). Cathie was a natural, and plunked down some money for the book with step by step instructions ($$ went to St Jude's Children's Hospital). My elephant was a dead ringer for an aardvark, and my frog was a fabulous Yoda. Sigh. My dog, however, was pretty good (see the pic ... the sunglasses were a nice touch, don't you think?  LOL!! )

Afterwards, I wandered down to the Park West art gallery for a talk on what to look for when collecting art for investment (right after I win the lottery!), and a quick seminar on a few artists (Romero Britto – whom I love-, Peter Max, etc.) Spent some time wandering and looking at some fabulous works (Kinkade, Britto, and a whole lot more that I didn't recognize but liked), and sipping on the free champagne they were handing out.

Met up with Cathie for lunch, and we hit the buffet (Italian theme) for a yummy meal. I headed back to the art gallery for the auction (and yes, more free champagne!) I was smart enough not to register (was a bit worried that an absent minded cheek scratch might cost me a few thousand dollars), but I enjoyed watching the auction. Prices ranged from less than $100 to more than $40,000 … but it was fun.

Met up with Cathie at the Posh Restaurant at 3pm for “high tea”. It's the first time we did it (it's held daily) and it was fun. We were all seated at long tables and served delicate nibblies (cucumber sandwiches, smoked salmon, etc.) and- of course- tea. We were seated with two lovely ladies from Louisiana who were having a girls cruise, and having a blast. They had reservations for the Steakhouse but were having second thoughts, so we convinced them to go and try it. There's a wonderful lounge, called the Habana, with latino décor, deep leather chairs, and a very quiet atmosphere (when there isn't a band playing, of course!). What a nice place to just hang and relax and chat for a while.

Time for a quick nap and then met up with everyone for supper. It was elegant night, so a nice chance to dress up and look good. Another wonderful meal with too much food, good conversation, and being serenaded by the waiters (and the very talented maitre d'). Totally stuffed, but managed to toddle off to the Victoriana for a fabulous, stand on your feet and sing tribute to the Beatles. It was really well done, and just kept the crowd singing and waving. I was totally energized after that, so while Cathie headed back to the cabin to go to bed, I wandered to the lobby for more music for an hour or so. I mysteriously found myself meandering past the late night buffet on the way back to the cabin … gee, how did THAT happen? LOL!

Food fests:

Breakfast : French toast, maple syrup, bacon, fresh fruit, OJ

Lunch : Italian buffet 

Supper : Cream of broccoli soup

                Broiled salmon, rice, veggies,

                Baked alaska

Late night snack : olives, cheese, calazone

Kitty updates : All continues to go well. Dexter is behaving (!) and Astrophe is great.

Last full day of the cruise tomorrow. This went by far too quickly!!

Aruba!

Thursday – Aruba

Last port of call today. *sad face*

We docked at 8am, and it was already hot (32ºC/91ºF)) but not surprising considering we are only 15 miles from the shores of Venezuela, South America! This is the furthest south I have ever been.

Aruba is only a few miles from Curaçao, so it was a short voyage. They share a very similar history, and are also members of the Netherlands UK. It's a small island (6 x 19 miles) but it's very different from Curaçao. The main city, Oranjestad, is a pretty city, with multicoloured buildings, and lots of fabulous shopping. The ship's shopping guide said this was THE place to shop on the cruise- but he meant the expensive things again.

There's one season here – summer. The “cold months” average around 81F, while the warm months” stay around 32ºC/91ºF. It's drier here – the humidity was only 77%, and they get less than 20 inches of rain a year. The south side of the island, where we docked, is where the lovely beaches and the gorgeous blue-green Caribbean waters are. The north side- a mere 6 miles away- is a desert, with virtually no rain, strong year round winds, no ground water, etc. It looks like something from an old Western, with sand, cactus and scattered rocks-- although these rocks are coral. The western side is the calm side, where the resorts are. Lots and lots of resorts, each one with a casino and spa. Very Vegas-like. The beaches are just beautiful, and watersports abound.

Cathie and I took the same tour, while Leslie and Davie went shopping. (It is, by the way, their 2^nd wedding anniversary today.) Our tour guide, Mirto, was a chatty older gent with a wry sense of humour. He was telling us about the natural plants and animals- for example, there are 21 different types of cactus growing here. There are 2 natural snakes – garden snakes and rattlesnakes. However, there is also now one new snake here- the boa. They started as pets, and then got too big, and people just let them go... and this is a great environment for them, and they have litters of dozens of babies, 3 times a year. It's become a huge problem here, and there's actually a bounty on them. They are afraid that there will be no birds or small mammals or lizards left in another decade because the boas are eating everything in sight. Not more than 15 minutes after that, he slowed the bus down and showed us a young boa curled up on the side of the road, soaking up the heat. The north side, as I mentioned, is wild and desolate – I liked it! We stopped at the collapsed Natural Bridge, and the Baby Natural Bridge. Wild surf, rocky shores – it looked like home, until you turned around and saw cactus and arid desert.

Rock formations are common here, and we stopped at the Casibari rocks- you can see the whole island from the top. There are some lovely grounds here – a peaceful, zen-like garden. I would have been happy to spend a couple of hours here, but back on the bus and to the other side of the island for another photo stop at the California lighthouse (named after a ship, not the state). We also made a stop at a small chapel in the middle of the desert, called the Alto Vista chapel. It had one service a month, and is just a serene little oasis, with a very peaceful and timeless atmosphere. Aruba is a nice island – and if you are a fan of beautiful beaches and watersports, this is the place for you.

We were back early enough to do grab some lunch on board and then go dockside for some shopping. We picked up our free charms* at Diamond International, and our free necklace at Effy's, and then had time for some souvenir shopping in a pretty mall. (*On the first day of the cruise, we attended a shopping seminar, and were given cards that allow us to collect freebies in each port. Diamond International is all through the Caribbean, and they give you a “gold” charm bracelet, and you collect charms at each port- free. At Effy's, we get a free 0.5 carat pendant-- a different gem at each port. And so on... it's great!)

We had supper reservations at the Sun King Steakhouse tonight. Two years ago today, we had supper at the Steakhouse on the Carnival Glory for Leslie and Davie's wedding supper, so it was great to celebrate their anniversary at the same place. 

Departure was delayed from Aruba tonight due to some medical emergency. We heard someone being paged to the medical centre and then - we were on deck- we heard the ambulance coming, and watched it turn on to the dock. Someone was eventually taken off, but the departing ambulance only had lights flashing, but no siren, so I don't know if that was a good or bad sign. We left port about an hour late and are sailing straight for Florida... takes about 2.5 days. Then flying home. Wow... this has gone by so fast...

Foodies :

Breakfast : scrambled eggs, bacon, OJ, fruit

Lunch : Calamari, onion and zucchini fritters

Supper (steakhouse) : Caesar salad,
               Lobster and cognac bisque,
               Filet mignon with wild mushroom sauce, yukon gold mashed potatoes with wasabi,      sauteed mushrooms, steamed broccoli 
              Bottle of Australian Shiraz. 
Dessert :  Davie had pre-ordered a chocolate torte (shaped like a heart) for dessert, and they were wished a happy anniversary by the staff. (Then he and Cathie each ordered - and ate!- the chocolate sampler!!)

 I finished with a latte, and thought it possible that I may never move again.

Kitties :

All is well.  *happy face*

Curaçao

Wednesday – Curaçao

This reminds me of the old movie “If this is Tuesday, it must be Belgium”... I have no idea of dates, etc., but if this is Wednesday, it must be Curaçao. (Note : my online pronunciation guide, prior to my trip, said this was pronounced “Sir-ah-cow” but that's wrong. It's “Kur-ah-so”, which I should have known, given that the “ç” in French is pronounced like an “s”.) Regardless, this is where we docked today at 2pm.

Because we had a late dock time, I had a late sleep in time, and didn't crawl out of bed until 8ish (which is NOT late when I am home, but seems late here). Breakfast and lots of ship exploring/shopping killed most of the morning. They have some lovely high-end gift shops on board … I have fallen in love with the new Columbian yellow emeralds. The staff patiently puts up with me wandering through and drooling on their lovely showcases, but they know I'm not buying. Grabbed a burger for lunch and got ready to debark when the ship docked.

What a gorgeous place this is! Willemstad is the capital, where we dock, and it's the prettiest town ever. Because it was a Dutch colony, you can see the Dutch influence in the architecture – tall, narrow buildings, all side by side, in the loveliest pastel colours. (The story goes that the governor declared that all the white buildings were hard on the eyes and caused migraines, and decided that everyone needed to paint their houses. Of course, it was later discovered that he was a silent partner in a paint factory that was losing money... LOL! Now, it's just tradition to use these lovely paint colours, and it's what the city is known for.) It's a more affluent island than the previous 2 stops. Most people here speak 4 languages fluently : Dutch, English, Spanish, and a local dialect called Papiemento. The country is no longer a Dutch territory/protectorate, but gained its independence a few years ago, and now belongs to the United Dutch kingdoms (like the British Commonwealth).

I took a tour of the Island, and it was really interesting. We drove through the town looking at the beautiful homes – all of which need constant upkeep. They made the mistake of using salt water for their cement blocks, and the homes disintegrate on an alarming basis. It does help keep the place looking always new! We saw their famous floating pontoon bridge, and then stopped at a small museum. Our tour guide, Melisa, was very informative and the planned 20-minute stop was closer to 45-50 minutes, but she was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed it- especially the grounds. Back on the bus and we were off to Chobolobo, the colonial plantation that produces the famous Curaçao liqueur. The Spanish brought Valencia oranges to Curaçao centuries ago, but they just don't grow well here – they produce small, very bitter, inedible fruit. So one enterprising man- Mr. Senior- used the peel of these oranges to produce the now world famous blue liqueur. It's still made the same way, at this family plantation- no factory. And we got to taste it... 4 different types. Mmmmm! The original is lovely, but mix the chocolate Curaçao with the coffee one, and it's heaven! Then back on the bus for more sightseeing, including the above ground cemeteries. The ground is too hard to bury people, so they place them in above ground crypts. After 5-10 years, they remove the bodies, put the bones in smaller boxes, and replace them, making room for the next family member who dies. It's like time share... that everyone is just dying to get into! Hahaha!

By the time I arrived back at the port, it was 6pm, and most of the shops were closing. They have a gorgeous harbourfront, with fabulous shops, but I mostly had to windowshop (probably better, anyway). I met up with Cathie, who was coming back from her excursion, and we wandered around for a while before heading back to the ship. The sun was just going down, and I got some wonderful pictures of the ship lit up.

We met up with Leslie and Davie at supper. They spent the day in the town, which I will do if I come back this way. I loved my tour, but Willemstad was beautiful and intriguing, and I'm sorry I didn't have more time for more than a cursory look around when most things were closed. It was nice to be there in the evening, when the air started to cool a bit (I think it went "down" to 31ºC/88ºF after sunset! Thank goodness for the constant Caribbean breezes...), but I would have liked more time.

After supper, the 4 of us went to the Victoriana lounge and played “80s lyrical trivia”. Wow. Where was I in the 80s? I could only name 7 of the 20 songs (although, to my credit, I did at least recognize 18 of them!). Davie got 3 right, Leslie scored with 13, and Cathie wouldn't even let us see her score sheet! Because of the late sail out (11pm) there was no show tonight. We watched the sail out from the deck- the city was lit up and those pastel buildings glowed in the dark. It was postcard-perfect. Then listened to some live music in the main lobby, and off to bed. This was a lovely place, and I would not mind a return visit- with more time- in the future.

Foodies :

Breakfast : eggs Benedict, bacon, fresh fruit, OJ

Lunch : burger and fries

Supper : Langoustina cocktail

           NY strip loin, fries, carrots

           dessert : almond chocolate roll in hot, crispy phyllo pastry

Late night snack :  olives, cheese, shrimp, Thai samosa

Kitty peeps : All is well, and I don't think they even know I'm gone! :)

La Romana!

Tuesday – La Romana, DR

First... Happy Birthday to my sister! What more could you ask for on your birthday – sunshine, the Caribbean and the beach! 

 

We were late docking, even though we arrived early, since we had a cargo ship in our way. It was already a hot hot day (32ºC/89ºF with 88% humidity) and breezy. I am having a bad hair cruise. I shower in the morning and blow dry my hair, and it looks nice. Then I walk out into that above mentioned climate and SPROOOING! Instant red afro. My very own l'il orphan Annie hairdo. Sigh. Add salt air to that, and even a brush can't do anything with it. I might as well give up. Never mind... it's a small price to pay.

Slathered on my sunscreen and left the ship for the parking lot. Cruise ships have just started coming to La Romana, and a shore excursion is strongly recommended for here. When you get off the ship, you are in the middle of nowhere. Literally. I had narrowed my shore excursions down to 2 or 3, and finally decided to go see the Taino Indian caves. Cathie headed off on a different excursion (to a reconstructed village and a riverboat cruise), and Davie and the birthday girl booked a day at a nearby resort/beach.

And did I mention it was hot? Even the tour guide, Eduardo, said the heat and humidity just started 3 days ago, and was a bad sign for the summer to come. We left the parking lot and went to “downtown” and stopped at the local city centre park to peruse handicrafts... Oh my! The sales pressure was crazy... I haven't been called “Baby” or “Sweetheart” so many times in my life! Every seller there was smooth talking and persistent. You had to laugh. I ended up buying a figurine carved from petrified wood from the most persistent of the persistent sellers, Jesus. He started off quoting a price so crazy that I just laughed and walked off. By the time we did the haggle dance, I got it for a third of his asking price, plus a necklace and 2 tiny carved turtles thrown in. I still overpaid, and we both knew it, but that's the game. And in this country of overwhelming poverty, where the average salary is $7 a day, I didn't mind paying a little more without resorting to outright charity. (And with gasoline nearly $7 a gallon, that salary doesn't go far!!)

There are sebenty-leben-gazillion motorcycles in the Dominican Republic. They speed, they zoom in and out of traffic, they go on either side of the street, in either direction, they never wear helmets (despite the fact that it is law), and they carry multiple people. The record we saw was six.... yes, 6 people on one motorcycle. They're crazy!!

So we drove about 40 minutes out of town, through unbelievably lush countryside (they can grow anything here!), dodging trucks and motorcycles, until we arrived at the caves. These caves are massive- they extend for some 800+ meters, although only a bit more than 200m are open to the public. The original peoples, the Taino, used these caves for rituals – probably burials. It was cool (19ºC/66ºF) and damp and slippery down there. There were 140 steps all together we had to navigate, but not all at once. The ceilings were very high, and the walls flickered with hidden lights, simulating torchlight. The ancient paintings on the walls told stories of their gods of death and rebirth. (They believed in reincarnation, and beheaded the dead to let the spirit escape. The chief was permitted multiple wives, but only his favourite was buried .... alive...with him when he died. Uh huh....) The stalactites formed fanciful shapes – dragon's heads, hummingbirds, bears and men. The roots of trees from the above world penetrated the roof of the cave and dangled everywhere, like wild jungle vines. No photographs were permitted, so I have none to share.

At the end, we rose to the surface in an elevator. It would have been nice to warn us. A small metal box, encased in solid rock, with no air, and sauna-like temperatures, crammed full of people, slowly rising through the walls. Ugh! I would have cheerfully backtracked through the cave and all 140 steps again to avoid that!

We then walked through a lovely jungle-like park (saw some huge iguanas) and headed back to the bus for the return trip. I headed back to the ship, grabbed some lunch, and then a well-earned nap.

Cathie arrived back shortly after I did. She had a fabulous excursion. We met up with Leslie and Davie at supper. Leslie arrived at supper positively glowing. Could have been birthday happiness, but I think it was the heat shimmer coming off her skin. She and Davie were several shades darker than when I saw them just before we docked this morning. I could almost feel the heat coming off them across the table, but she'll be brown by tomorrow, the brat. I gave her birthday greetings from her son, a card from her daughter, and one from me, and we had another nice meal. Then off to the Victoriana to watch a Motown show, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Foodies :

Breakfast : same old, same old!

Lunch : Indian (a bit of everything... so here's a picture)

Supper : Spicy Thai chicken soup, Seafood newburg, tropical fruit plate

Cat peeps :

From my niece and catsitter extraordinaire:

Kitties are all great and definitely enjoying being spoiled rotten by mommy #2. Astrophe is awesome and has officially decided that her and I can be friends ( she slept under the covers with me last night!!! :) ) Dexter is still behaving, so be prepared for kitty armageddon when you come home!! Hahaha. Kizzy and Milo have become really close and play all day and night, chasing each other like Indy 500 constantly. Nika enjoys being left alone to sleep on my warm bed all day and Mia comes looking for snuggles all the time :)

It's a long way south to Curacao – we arrive tomorrow around 2pm.

Grand Turk

Monday – Grand Turk

 

Warm white sand between your toes, crystal clear green-blue water, palm trees, a sprinkle of rain and breezy …. Ahhhh! We are in Grand Turk. I had been here before, so I opted out of shore excursions and decided instead to wander the shops in their pretty multi-coloured buildings, and spend some time on the gorgeous beach. I held my shoes and walked along the sand, in the gentle waves and realized that this very well could be paradise (except during hurricane season!) It's a tiny island, only 7 sq miles, but it's so distinct from the islands around it. It's not a lush island paradise, but rather an arid place with scrub palms, wild donkeys, horses and dogs, and a strong history of a determined and hardy people. The main export here is not rum, or molasses, or coconuts, but salt from their salt plains. They are still recovering from Hurricane Ike, which devastated the island, but their attitude is stronger than ever. 

Because the ship docks along a pier that annexes the shopping area, it's very easy to wander on and off the ship at will (no doubt annoying security as you do so). I had attended a shopping seminar the day before, so I knew where to buy duty free Rolexes, the best quality Tanzanite and who sold the finest, purest diamonds. That was quite helpful since it meant I knew exactly which shops to avoid. (I did use a coupon given at the seminar to pick up a free mystic topaz pendant, so that was lovely.) I wandered in and out of Piranha Joe's and other more affordable places before finally flopping on a chaise longue, under a palm tree, breeze in my hair, and coconuts hanging precariously over my head. (Anyone know the stats on tourist head trauma induced by falling coconuts?) 

 

Remember Johnny Appleseed? Well, the Carnival Freedom is like that... sailing the Caribbean, bringing rain to desert islands. Arid, dry, parched Grand Turk was sprinkled by rain today, thanks to our visit. It truly was just a sprinkle – I didn't even stir out of my chair under those coconuts- but I was amused at the people who scrambled out of the water to run along the beach to “shelter”. They were swimming! Did they think a sprinkle of rain would make them more wet? Odd creatures.

Eventually, I had to make my way back to the ship for a light lunch, and then my obligatory nap. (This is becoming quite a habit!)

Supper tonight was... well, a whole blog entry needs to be devoted to just supper. In short, we ate at the Chef's Table, an 8-course gastronomic event that seats only 14 people, and lasts 3+ hours. My taste buds are still doing the dance of joy! It did mean that we missed the after dinner show, and no one was interested in heading off to listen to live music with me (and I really didn't want to go alone), so it was an early night … which is just as well since my shore excursion tomorrow in La Romana, Dominican Republic, starts just after we dock at 8am.

Foodie friends:

Breakfast : scrambled eggs, bacon, grapefruit, fresh fruit, OJ

Lunch theme was Caribbean Day : Greek salad, pasta salad, grilledcorn/peppers/mushrooms, calamari fritters, fried dumplings, jerk chicken, Jamaican pepper stew, and red beans and rice.

Supper : Chef's table. More to follow …. someday soon.

Kitty friends :

Astrophe is “an angel” to pill, and Dexter has not acted up once since I left. Suuuuuure... :) But it sounds like all is well.

Tomorrow.... La Romana.

It was a dark and stormy night...

Sunday

It was dark and rainy for this sea day, and I slept later than planned (about 8am)... but it was a sea, so there was little else to do, and- truth be told- I was still tired. A nice breakfast and then to the theatre for the talk on where we were going, what to see, what to buy (and what not to buy!) I have been to our first stop,Grand Turk, before- a small, arid island- so I didn't buy any shore excursions, and will just wander. Assuming the rain doesn't keep following us. It was raining so heavily this morning that I couldn't see out the windows. Glad it was a sea day!!

The highlight of the morning was winning a “solid gold plastic ship on a stick” – one of the most coveted souvenirs on Carnival cruise line. You can't buy them, you have to win or be given one. I was half listening to the Cruise Director's morning show on the TV while getting ready, and they had a trivia contest (“What country is directly south of Detroit?”). After listening to people calling in with the wrong answers, I finally picked up the phone, called in, and gave them the right answer (“Windsor, Ontario, Canada”), and won the coveted ship on a stick! Woooooo!!

Lunch, exploring the shops, realizing I had managed to lose my hairbrush between here and Florida, and a well deserved nap in the afternoon. (Hey- I'm on vacation! Sleep and eat and relax with a book on the shaded area of the Serenity (adult only) deck are the only plans I had, and the rain stopped me from doing the last, so I slept again! LOL!) It was elegant night, so I got all doodled up and looked elegant, and we had another lovely meal.

After supper was the “Big Easy” show in the theatre - a salute to New Orleans. Vegas style music, song, dance and amazing sets – complete with flying singers and pyrotechnics. I loved it and was pumped and ready to go hear more music afterwards (there's live music everywhere!) but no one was up for it, and I didn't want to go alone, so back to the cabin for some TV and an early night. (Remember, for me, an early night is anything before 1am.) The ship stopped at some point, so we must have been close to port- we dock at Grand Turk at 7am. The rain stopped, and it's hot and humid, so will hopefully be nice tomorrow.

For my foodie friends :

Breakfast : scrambled eggs, bacon, OJ, and fresh fruit

Lunch : baked Boston bluefish in a citrus sauce (YUM!!), tomatoes stuffed with fruit (!) and baked, mashed potatoes, a salad of baby spinach, wax beans, red onion in a blue cheese dressing.... and fresh fruit.

Mid afternoon snack : slice of veggie pizza

Supper : Maine lobster, shrimp, broccoli, and rice. Cherries jubilee for dessert.

(and soft serve ice cream a couple of times a day!)

For my cat friends (and yes, you can be both!):

Astrophe is doing great. She has kicked Dex out of his bed on Rayna's bed and claimed it for her own. Dex has decided that sleeping on Rayna's head is more fun, anyway. Nika sleeps on her legs. Kizzy, Milo and Mia have a lovefest in the middle of my bed. All is well!

Tomorrow.... Grand Turk.

Sailing!

Saturday

Up early and discovered the luggage had arrived overnight. YAY - no cruising in my jammies!

Quick breakfast and then on the bus to the Port. It was still heavy, grey, and windy. Warm of course, but no sun. We passed the RC Oasis on the way to our ship. What a monster ship – holds 6000 passengers. Ours (the Carnival Freedom) is a smaller ship, with 3000 passengers and that is about as many people as I want to be on a ship with. 

Embarkation was a bit of a mess- they were using the older port building (the Oasis needed the new one all to herself), and people had to be lined up outside. It was still drizzly, but nothing major (although you wouldn't know it by the way some people were grumbling. I thought one blonde- traveling with her posse- was going to explode. She was really making a fuss.) Yes, it was poorly planned, and there should have been officials outside making sure things were orderly, but people - you're on vacation! Chill a bit- it's not like they're going to give your room to someone else. There was some kind of rebellion, and the formerly orderly line suddenly surged forward and collapsed into a mob. (An hour later, inside, blondie was still complaining! Glad she is not in my travel party. She reminded Leslie and I of the older couple on the shuttle from the airport who were angry about the weather, and when we pulled into the Marriot Courtyard, he muttered that the hotel mustn't be very good because there weren't any expensive cars in the parking lot. Ugh!)   Anyway, it took about 2 hours to process 3000 passengers and get us all on board, which I thought was pretty good. As the comedian said later that evening, as soon as we were all aboard, we all rushed the buffet like starving refuges!  Ahhhhh.... the food! It's everywhere – a deli, a fast food place, sushi, Indian, fish and chips,  Mongolian Wok, etc., etc. And free soft serve ice cream stations- everywhere. That's in addition to the formal diningrooms, of course. This is a dangerous place for a foodie like me. I'll be taking the stairs as much as possible during this cruise so I can still fit in my clothes by the end! 

 

My friend Cathie flew in from Toronto, and met us on the ship around 2:30. We explored the ship while waiting to set sail. There was a small incident with Cathie, a recalcitrant hammock, and a hard deck. Ow! (I am sorry for laughing, Cathie, but at least I wasn't fast enough to take a picture! ) The rain held off long enough to stay on the deck for the departure, but it was windy and grey. Still, it was nice- especially when sailing past the amazing mansions along the beachfront. After a nice nap (the rocking of the ship just knocks me out!), we headed off to the Chic restaurant for a lovely supper. (Cream of sun ripened tomato soup, sweet and sour shrimp with noodles, and crème brulee. Mmmmm!) Then off to the Victoriana theatre for the welcome show – I love live music, singing, and dance. To have a show every evening is a real treat. Long day.... bed by 12:30, rocked to sleep by 12:31... 

Sunday will be a relaxing sea day.  Perfect! 

Cruise 2012 .. here we go, again!

Yes, there's a world out there, and I plan to see as much as I can ...

Friday

It's been a long couple of days. On my way home from work on Wednesday, my car started making TERRIBLE noises. Turns out my brake pad is shot- and I have to leave my poor niece with the task of getting that fixed so she can use the car while I am gone. (There's always a jinx prior to my trip, and much better my car than my cat for a change!)

We left home Thursday to drive to Halifax. Nice day, nice drive. Arrived around supper and tossed our things in the room at the airport hotel, and then went to COSTCO. Leslie and Davie stocked up on a few (ha! a few dozen) things, and packed them in the car trunk. Nothing perishable, of course. The car will be safe at the hotel until we return. Had a nice supper, and then back to the hotel for an early night.

Up early this morning, grabbed breakfast, and then off to the airport, where we went through customs and Leslie got nabbed for the full body scan... again! Must be that suspicious face. LOL! The flight was uneventful and smooth, and I got my first glimpse of the Empire State Bldg and the Statue of Liberty as we descended. Newark airport is huge, and we had to switch terminals, which involved 2 buses after we got off the plane. They were boarding our flight when we arrived. Which is why, when we landed in Ft. Lauderdale, our bags didn't. Sigh. We had our carry-ons, but our main suitcases missed the connection. All our clothes, toiletries, etc. Hooooo boy. They assured us that they had confirmation that the bags were following us on the next flight, and the Carnival representative (a geeky young guy, with very red eyes, nervously clutching his clipboard and squeaking when he spoke) promised they would be at the hotel very soon. It's 1:00 am and there are no bags yet. The front desk sent up some toothpaste, but... ulp! The website says the bags HAVE arrived and “delivery process has been initiated”. They have 10 hours before we leave for the ship, and the thought of having to wear my icky travel clothes for the next 10 days is a bit daunting. We did grab a very expensive cab ride to the nearest mall (Aventura?) and picked up a couple of new tops each-- just in case! While we were waiting for the cab back, the thunder and lightning started-- wow!! And then the heavens opened! I don't get that kind of water pressure from my shower head. The streets were running hubcap deep in no time. It was amazing. They are following this on the news and say there will be more of the same tomorrow, with tornado watches. They also reported a small fire on a cruise ship in the port here... not ours, but ulp! I don't believe in signs. Good thing! LOL!

But palm trees. Warm moist air. I'm Florida, and it feels wonderful. Let the holiday begin – luggage or not!

PS :  Update Saturday morning.  The bags are here and we are ready to sail!  Stay tuned.