Celestine
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2002
- Messages
- 1,660
Packed the last of our things & heaed out of ASMo @ 10am. Great, simple instructions got us to the port with ease. Biggest problem was DD deciding to be travel sick all over my one & only cardigan! It is quite scary pulling onto that strip of earth alongside the beeline express trying to clean her up & locate clothes in an already bulging suitcase! I don't suppose it helped when DH then said to watch out for snakes - difficult when you're trying not to retch because of the smell (my nose is hypersensitive to smell since getting pregnant!).
Arrived at the port, and the porter was rather amused that we had just one case between the three of us. It was only when I looked round & saw others with about 3 cases each that I could see why he thought we were odd!
Walked quickly through security & was immediately served at the non US resident counter where the formalities were taken care of. I was amazed at the huge queue of people waiting to board, even though it was only 1130 & boarding wasn't expected for another 30mins or so. Completed the kids club forms & joined a slow moving queue in the coffee shop to submit them & be given a pager. DD attached her club badge with pride, but managed to break it before we had boarded the ship, lol! By the time this was completed, boarding had commenced and the queue had gone.
Boarded the boat with the obligatory welcome photo & announcement & was immediately met by a Welsh CM who chatted & said it was nice to hear a British accent! Headed off for lunch. Parrot Cay was already full, so we were direct to the beach blanket where the buffet had so much choice - including salad & things other than burgers & chips!!!!
It wasn't yet 1.30pm, so couldn't access our stateroom, so instead headed out onto deck 9 for a wander around. Mickeys pool was packed & DD couldnt wait to get changed & get in, but we managed to persuade her to wait for 10 minutes so we could change in our room.
Headed back to deck 6 and entered out cat. 11 stateroom. Whilst not huge, it was big enough for the 3 of us (DD is only 5). Having changed we headed back up to Mickeys pool where DD splashed & thoroughly enjoyed herself for an hour. I left DH watching her whilst I went down to the excursion desk to book us onto the bridge tour for the following afternoon. Had a good chat with Rob from Southampton, as well as a laugh about the number of people who said my friend lives in , do you know them?!
Managed to get DD out of the pool on the umpteenth time of asking & headed back to our room to see our luggage had arrived. During the unpacking process our stateroom host, Weekly, introduced himself. We then spent a few minutes on the krypton factor challenge of correctly putting on our lifejackets ready for the mandatory boat drill. It is surprisingly difficult to negotiate corridors and stairs with these on, and Im more of a kylie stature (ok, then geri halliwell), than Michelle McManus, so heaven knows how the rugby playing males cope! Boat drill was fast & efficient, so it was a quick removal of the life jacket & off to the sail away party. Sail away party was a complete riot party dances, characters, live band, countdown with party streamers. Unlike others on the ship, I was not aware of the movement of the ship & I was quite concerned as during my last pregnancy I suffered terribly with sea sickness.
We had early dinner seating, with first night at Parrot Cay. We were introduced to our server (Ashley from India), and assistant server (Laurie from France). We also met our dining companions, Patti, Alex & little Caden from Jacksonville. Menu choice was huge, but I opted for the crab in a cheese sauce (heavenly) & the light bite chicken with jacket potato (very filling & couldnt finish it), and couldnt manage a pudding. DD opted for a minnie burger & mickey icecream bar. Highlight for DD was the napkin waving followed by limbo-ing round the restaurant with the servers and other children.
After dinner DD went to oceaneer club and we watched Hercules the muse-ical. A quality production containing American topical jokes (so didnt get all of them). The cast were quite obviously very talented as you saw them in all 3 shows playing a variety of roles. The shows last about an hour, so picked DD up just before 10pm and by that time those children that were still awake were lying down on mats watching Dumbo.
Got back to our room to find a towel dog on the bed looking after 3 chocolate squares. DD jumped into the big bed with her Dad leaving me with the sofa bed that Weekly had put together whilst we were out. Im pleased Im no taller than 54 because I wouldnt have fitted in otherwise!
Arrived at the port, and the porter was rather amused that we had just one case between the three of us. It was only when I looked round & saw others with about 3 cases each that I could see why he thought we were odd!
Walked quickly through security & was immediately served at the non US resident counter where the formalities were taken care of. I was amazed at the huge queue of people waiting to board, even though it was only 1130 & boarding wasn't expected for another 30mins or so. Completed the kids club forms & joined a slow moving queue in the coffee shop to submit them & be given a pager. DD attached her club badge with pride, but managed to break it before we had boarded the ship, lol! By the time this was completed, boarding had commenced and the queue had gone.
Boarded the boat with the obligatory welcome photo & announcement & was immediately met by a Welsh CM who chatted & said it was nice to hear a British accent! Headed off for lunch. Parrot Cay was already full, so we were direct to the beach blanket where the buffet had so much choice - including salad & things other than burgers & chips!!!!
It wasn't yet 1.30pm, so couldn't access our stateroom, so instead headed out onto deck 9 for a wander around. Mickeys pool was packed & DD couldnt wait to get changed & get in, but we managed to persuade her to wait for 10 minutes so we could change in our room.
Headed back to deck 6 and entered out cat. 11 stateroom. Whilst not huge, it was big enough for the 3 of us (DD is only 5). Having changed we headed back up to Mickeys pool where DD splashed & thoroughly enjoyed herself for an hour. I left DH watching her whilst I went down to the excursion desk to book us onto the bridge tour for the following afternoon. Had a good chat with Rob from Southampton, as well as a laugh about the number of people who said my friend lives in , do you know them?!
Managed to get DD out of the pool on the umpteenth time of asking & headed back to our room to see our luggage had arrived. During the unpacking process our stateroom host, Weekly, introduced himself. We then spent a few minutes on the krypton factor challenge of correctly putting on our lifejackets ready for the mandatory boat drill. It is surprisingly difficult to negotiate corridors and stairs with these on, and Im more of a kylie stature (ok, then geri halliwell), than Michelle McManus, so heaven knows how the rugby playing males cope! Boat drill was fast & efficient, so it was a quick removal of the life jacket & off to the sail away party. Sail away party was a complete riot party dances, characters, live band, countdown with party streamers. Unlike others on the ship, I was not aware of the movement of the ship & I was quite concerned as during my last pregnancy I suffered terribly with sea sickness.
We had early dinner seating, with first night at Parrot Cay. We were introduced to our server (Ashley from India), and assistant server (Laurie from France). We also met our dining companions, Patti, Alex & little Caden from Jacksonville. Menu choice was huge, but I opted for the crab in a cheese sauce (heavenly) & the light bite chicken with jacket potato (very filling & couldnt finish it), and couldnt manage a pudding. DD opted for a minnie burger & mickey icecream bar. Highlight for DD was the napkin waving followed by limbo-ing round the restaurant with the servers and other children.
After dinner DD went to oceaneer club and we watched Hercules the muse-ical. A quality production containing American topical jokes (so didnt get all of them). The cast were quite obviously very talented as you saw them in all 3 shows playing a variety of roles. The shows last about an hour, so picked DD up just before 10pm and by that time those children that were still awake were lying down on mats watching Dumbo.
Got back to our room to find a towel dog on the bed looking after 3 chocolate squares. DD jumped into the big bed with her Dad leaving me with the sofa bed that Weekly had put together whilst we were out. Im pleased Im no taller than 54 because I wouldnt have fitted in otherwise!
