April 18th, 2009! - PATRIOT'S OF THE CARIBBEAN - Western Magic!

[castlegazer]

I think we need to do a roll call to ensure that the same people are still booked onto the cruise as are listed on the front page.

please check in, even if it's just a wave and a hi!

I am getting very self contientious about being the only poster here.



castlegazer: we are going!

 

[bdwk1997]

 

[o4me2playn]

Wes and I are checking in!

 

[tinkerbelle77]

Hi! Tim and I checking in!

 

[castlegazer]

Thanks Guys. Just making sure there were people out there!

More sea day activities:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/188/437890099_5269b97838.jpg?v=0

You need to click on this one. I can't seem to make it appear, but it is worth it and seems to be fine for a link - no issues. the flickr tour for this guy is really good too, so see if you can go back to all his photos. They are very good.

Just awesome! We didn't take advantage of this enough last cruise. I plan to eat breakfast here in the morning and just sit sometimes - it was tough to do on your first cruise. But the thing I want to do more of this time, is to just stop, slow down and relax.

 

[castlegazer]

Ok - I have a lot of days to pass, so today's photo is down a corridor:



I had to show one more, though, from this web site - which is a good picture review of a guy's cruise, David Stauffer - which can be found at: www.davidstauffer.com/caribbean2007/index.php

Check out what he did with a setting on his camera he called, the color accent mode:



Now that is a cool picture of a very uncool event for every cruise!

Does anyone know how to do this? I have a Cannon, and I don't know if I can do this or not, but I am sure to go check it out.

 

[castlegazer]

Was anyone else at the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra's concert Saturday night of Disney music?

I realized, too late as I was already there, that that would have been a good meet to do. It's always a good time, free, and the kids can run around and see Mickey Mouse too (or a mild representation thereof)!

 

[castlegazer]

Funny shot angle:

 

[o4me2playn]

Just needed to "pipe in" and say that I WISH it was next April and I was getting ready to board the ship!

Can anyone make the next 275 days go by faster????

(I guess I need a vacation!)

 

[castlegazer]

No, but I did notice that the stores were hauling out the Halloween stuff into the aisles recently - never been so happy to see retailers rushing the season before.

After Halloween comes Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving comes Christmas after Christmas comes Spring!!!!!!!! with a lot of stuff inbetween unfortunately

 

[aljsmom]

We were off visiting relatives, then got real busy at home. Can't wait for the cruise, I was just checking out bathing suits for the girls for the cruise online.
Talbots is closing the kids division and you can get their bathings suits for next to nothing!

 

[castlegazer]

Welcome back!
I am a HUGE fan of Talbot's kids and I have spent a ridiculous amount of money stocking up on all sizes of everything essential like pants and sweaters there for my kids over the past after the announcement! I find that their clothes last a very long time and are great for sizing purposes - i.e. they fit for a long time too.

I am headed to check them out again now! Thanks for the heads-up/reminder! BUT FYI, Disney has their bathing suits on sale too and I have gotten our whole family suits that we are using this year and for next.

I just got back from vacation!!! We were just up in Maine, but it was nice to be away for a while.

 

[o4me2playn]

we've only done the Eastern cruise in the past. Is the weather different in April for the Western ports?

Thanks!

 

[castlegazer]

Good question.

I am just guessing, but I would guess that it is hotter. I have always found that our cruises in April and May have been HOT, but not excrutiating. St. Maarten is always HOT then, so I am figuring that Key West will be it's usual unbearable humid and hot and most likely the rest of the ports will be HOT, but less humid.



Here is our photo for today of Cozumel simply because I really like this idea of looking out a window at these waters:

 

[o4me2playn]

Thanks!

Our first Cruise was in Sept and the weather was not too bad. Of course, being from CA, summers are always Hot but April is still rather cool.

I'm usually okay if it's cool - not cold - so maybe I'll just bring a light windbreaker or jacket if it cools at night. Wes and I like to sit on the Verandah at night and watch the seas - very calming to us.

BTW - LOVE the pics. Keep them coming!

 

[castlegazer]

A Cozumel web site says that it will be in the 70's to 80's when we are there in April.

I seemed to find that I needed a sweater or light jacket a lot on our cruise last time which also was at the end of April. Simply for the indoor areas of the ship which I found to be super cold. I think it was chilly on our verandah at night too. I remember that I had warm nighties for the kids.

Picture of the day:
Moving on from key West and Sea Days (I know I just posted Cozumel, but that was out of order) to Grand Cayman
Today's pic is actually the link to the web site for the Cayman Islands, because I was just on it and found it to be sooo much fun! I also found the sea School with Diego and I totally wish this was something that was going on when we will be there, but alas, it's not unless they change the dates next year, but even then it is meant for people staying on the island.
http://www.caymanislands.ky/

 

[o4me2playn]

I believe that it's just you and I posting here now-a-days

But I noticed that we don't have a "name" for our cruise yet and since I'm not that clever - maybe we can get the rest of the group to chime in and give us an idea of what everyone would like?

Thoughts?

 

[castlegazer]

I love this picture - I see it everywhere!

and for all this into Scuba Diving - here are the sites:

 

[aljsmom]

Had to go to Florida to pick up my mom and drive her up to Mass. 1600 miles, three days, I did all the driving and didn't get to do any sightseeing...sigh...
I vow never to do that to my kids!!

Castlegazer, we were up in Maine as well. Where do you go? We were in Damariscotta.

 

[castlegazer]

I can't believe you just did that! I used to drive to Atlanta a lot and we do drive to Florida sometimes, but definitely not often. I am glad you are home... and in one piece!

Damariscotta - Oh that is such a beautiful place - I always tell people Wiscasset, Damariscotta, Pemaquid Point are some of my favorite places to just be in Maine - Boothbay Harbor is another one too. My husband and I spent a miserable Valentine's day in Pemaquid point at a great inn. It was miserable because he had come down with pneumonia and was stuck in bed and the inn didn't have TVs in the room and all he wanted to do was just to lay there and watch TV. No such luck - our romantic little trip was a bit off kilter due to the illness.

We are headed back this weekend to Maine. York Beach. My family has a cottage there and a lot of my family either lives there year round or summers there. My husband went to college in Maine too.

I will be back in a minute to do the photo of the day - it will be off topic, but I have to show you all this amazing photo that someone posted recently....