Mexican Magic - July 6th - July 13th / Post trip Disneyland

[smeecanada]

Thanks so much. I need to go and see about a pedi for me, so I can check on this for my DD at the same time. Sounds like fun.

 

[Dizney73]

Great questions...we did not know that he could get this done either. We went to Rockin Bar D after lunch upon embarkation. We wanted to confirm our appts and get Rainforest Room passes. I asked the CM's if they still had the Little Princess makeovers, and they said "yes, but only on port days". So we signed my niece up. At the same time, my Sis was looking at my nephews hair which had "suddenly" grown overnight - you know that way that kids hair looks find one day - and all shaggy the next? The CM's actually offered a beauty salon haircut. And they made an appt for the next late afternoon - now that was a sea day - so I don't know why they allowed it. It wasn't inexpensive - I think with tip it was about $38.00, but he looked great.

Drop by Rockin Bar D upon arrival and I'm sure they will work with you....

Thanks so much! We sure will check into this!

 

[TiaMaria]

July 11th - Day 6

Again, even though my night was filled with little sleep, I was up early and out on the verandah. This would prove to be a day at sea filled with sunshine and warm temperatures - not like the first day on the way south.

My niece FINALLY woke up and I filled her in on all that happened while she slept. She was amazed and very concerned about her big brother. I had Palo Brunch reservations with my Sis and BIL at 10:30 pm so I started to get showered and ready for that while she watched TV while she stretched a bit.

About this time, my nephew woke up and declared that his hand felt fine. We applied a little more gel, and decided that gel, H2O body butter and, of course, plenty of sunscreen when he went swimming would be the routine that day.

My niece headed off to Topsiders, as was her solo routine for most of last years' cruise. I think we cramped her style going with her so many days this year! My nephew decided on room service, and happily ordered another order of the chicken noodle soup that he slept through in the early morning hours, in addition to his usual breakfast fare. The kids met up after breakfast and went to see WALL-E together.

Sis, BIL and I headed up to Palo. What a beautiful, sunny view this morning. Of course, we over ate! Mini-pizzas, omelets, all the great cheeses (love that super-aged Westminster sharp cheddar! Wow!), shrimp, pastries (Sis went nuts over the chocolate croissants - took the last one on board I believe!), salads, and of course, the desserts!

Ummmm, what was with the guy who came in baggy, falling-down ratty jeans and a baggy, wrinkled button down shirt (untucked halfway down to his knees) and dirty canvass tennis shoes? AND THEY LET HIM IN!!!!! Every other man was dressed appropriately in either khaki or darker pants with button down shirts or nice tucked-in polo type shirts. Women....well it is more difficult for us. Most were appropriate - some looked like they had stayed out all night in Vegas - but they weren't in jeans. I mean, we got our confirmation voicemail the evening before from PJ, with a 5 minute long dissertation on the dress-code, and that it WOULD be enforced, and this guy shows up in rumpled, baggy jeans? I'm just sayin'.

We waddled happily back to our staterooms to change for the Quiet Cove pool. We were going to sit up on Deck 10, but there were 2 empty chairs right next to each other poolside. There were some shoes and a book behind one of the chairs - but no towels, and the couple sitting next to them said no one had been there in the 30 minutes they had been sitting there - so the chairs were fair game. We did ask the 4 people in the pool if the items were theirs and they said "no", so my conscious was clear. BIL shared with Sis for awhile, then the male half of the nice couple next to them said he was headed for the Spa and gave his chair to BIL. Of course, 30 minutes after we sat down, the couple originally in our chairs came back and made a big production of picking up their flip-flops and books. We just kept our IPODS on and ignored them. Hey, when your're gone for AT LEAST AN HOUR, you can sure bet the meter on your chair is beyond blinking red. We had a great, relaxing afternoon at the pool while the kids checked in quickly and said they were headed to the clubs.

This evening was Disney Dreams, my favorite off all the shows. Afterwards we felt like just enjoying some time in the Promenade Lounge with a beverage. We also got Ben and Dana. To those that have seen them.....you'll know what I mean when I say Dana is very pleased with herself and pleased to be there. You know on American Idol, when Simon tells the contestants that they sound like a cruise ship cabaret singer......?

Semi-formal night - and lots of pictures to be taken. We hadn't even visited Shutters yet, but this evening we began "stacking" our photos as they were putting some older ones in the boxes. We didn't want to sit on the floor this evening, so we made 2 stacks, put them back on the shelves, and vowed to start choosing our packages in the morning.

Dinner was in Lumiere's again. Service was going along fine, but halfway through dinner, our server, Leo, disappeared. Head Server, Roberto, came to tell us Leo had hurt his back and for safety precautions, they sent him to Medical. I'll bet it was from carrying all those lobster tails that people were ordering! LOL! Roberto finished serving that night with Natasha's help. Never a dull moment in the dining room. My niece surprisingly did not want a lobster tail this year. I think she was beginning to get "shrimp overload" also as the serving team made sure she had a big plate of grilled shrimp each evening.

My nephew was off again to change and head to his OC group (with the suggestion of staying away from hot beverages this evening ). We made sure he understood that he was allowed away from the group to get something to drink - just not to run the halls, stairs and elevators. As I went downstairs with my niece to get into comfy clothes, Sharon from Ocean Quest called to check on him. She hadn't been on duty in the afternoon when he was down there, and she was worried that he was staying away because of the previous nights' episode. I assured her that he was on his way down - and told her again how grateful we were about how she took care of him. What a thoughtful young lady! Unfortunately she is ending her tour at the end of summer and not planning on re-signing this time.

Again, we had too much sunshine and food (and BBC's) to hit the adult clubs, so my niece and I turned in early. I did crack an eye open just prior to 1AM and of course, my nephew was right on time!

Next up: Final Day at Sea and Embarkation Day (not too sad as we looked forward to 3 days at the Grand Californian)

 

[Dizney73]

Wow... Soundslike the kind of sunny warm weather I am wishing for on the sea days for our August 10 cruise!
Can't wait to hear more... what will I do when your report is finished????

 

[TiaMaria]

Wow... Soundslike the kind of sunny warm weather I am wishing for on the sea days for our August 10 cruise!
Can't wait to hear more... what will I do when your report is finished????

By then you will be on your way and making notes for your own TR!

We lucked out with the weather on our final 2 sea days. Christiaan told us they were the best 2 sea days so far this summer weatherwise. By the sounds of the most recent TR's, we may hold the record so far. I hope not, though, because those sea days are my favorite. Those are the days I know I can just get out on the deck and relax. Plenty to do indoors, but only if it's your choice to be indoors - not because you are forced to be there due to the weather.

 

[disneyfan551]

Love your report!!

 

[TiaMaria]

Love your report!!

Thank you - I love writing it. Trying to get it completed before all the Disneyland details get too fuzzy, you know? I promise to get past the final day today and at least the first day/night at Disneyland.

Stay tuned!

 

[Bellarina]

Wow thanks for the great report and info on the princess makeover!

 

[andriade]

Your report has been very detailed. Thank you!

 

[TiaMaria]

Your report has been very detailed. Thank you!

Detailed - but hopefully not too long/boring! LOL

 

[TiaMaria]

July 12th - Day 7

Our last day at sea and our last full day of the cruise! How did it go by so quickly once again?

The last couple of late nights caught up with us, and the kids and I slept until about 8:30. When I woke up I ran down to the laundry and threw in a couple of small loads. They were in the dryer by the time we were dressed. I stopped at my Sis and BIL's room on the way back from throwing the clothes in the dryer, and Sis was up and hungry also. We waited until about 9:30 for BIL to get back from the Spa (he had taken my Sis's Seaweed Wrap and 1/2 Massage which he said felt "weird") before going up to Topsiders. Nephew again was content to order room service, and said he was heading down to Ocean Quest when he was finished. I have to say, he was the best of all of us in coming back to the stateroom and writing down where he was headed next. He took his expanded freedom seriously, and we never had to worry about how the OQ kids can check out without the counselors paging the adults with him.

After breakfast I got our clothes out of the dryer and went back to the stateroom to get the luggage out from under the bed to begin the dreaded task of packing. We had an extra challenge....BIL, due to work, was not staying at the Grand Californian with us - he was going to transfer with us as his flight was at 6:50 Sunday evening, but he was flying back to San Antonio. Sis decided to bite the bullet and have him pay for extra baggage (although SW airlines does not charge until the 3rd checked bag) and send as much back with him as possible so she would not have to juggle herself, 2 kids, and tons of carry-on and checked baggage. She asked me to keep 1 suitcase with the kids clothing combined, and pack the other with anything that could go home with BIL. Keep in mind that the kids things were in 2 - 21" "carry-on" bags to begin with. They also had carry-on roller duffles - and those would still go with us. She was so happy at my "rolling/packing" technique that she stuffed the suitcase with all the sweatshirts and other souvies she had bought during the week!

I got all the clothes packed (except for what we were wearing, swimsuits, that evening's clothes, sleepwear, and the next day's clothes) and decided to hold off on shoes, and all the kid's souvies and personal "junk" and our toiletries until later in the day. Whew!

Sis and BIL did the same thing and decided to hit the Quite Cove pool. I offered to go to the Goofy pool with my niece, but she wanted to "shop" some more! I had had enough sun, so we looked through the shops once more and just decided to walk around the ship a bit.

We ran across the "Sea Day Sail-abration" in the Lobby Atrium. Now I guess they have this on all sailings, but we must have missed it before. It was really neat. We were standing at the top of the stairs along the railing on Deck 4 - right by the DVC desk and we thought they were only going to do the "balloon drop". Boy were we wrong! They had a great half hour "show" with the cruise staff, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Chip n' Dale and Stitch (who all came down the stairs right next to us and high-fived us). The Deck 3 area of the Atrium was jammed packed. Of course, I did not have my camera with me! All kinds of music and dancing. I had just said to my niece, "Oh I'm sad your brother and parents are missing this" when I saw my nephew coming up from Deck 2 in one of the Atrium elevators. There was no way he could see us. A minute later, I see him back in the elevator going up. A minute later I see him going back down. Then up. Then down. LOL. I guess this is how he figured he would get the best view as Decks 3 and 4 were so packed. My niece and I were laughing so hard. After a couple more minutes of singing and dancing, something glinting along the rope at the bottom of the stairs caught my eye. Yep, sure enough it was my nephew (wearing the new watch his Mom and Dad got him for his birthday) who had snaked his way up to the front. How do kids always manage that!? After a bit more dancing (YMCA!) they dropped the balloons. Of course they all had to be popped so none would get outside and blow overboard (a BIG no-no). My niece didn't get one as we were up on the Deck 4 Atrium railing. We watched a few more minutes and lo and behold, here comes my nephew. He had seen us and he realized his sister couldn't pop a balloon. He had brought one up to her to pop (when they are being nice and getting along with each other they are SO cute! ). Well she tried to pop it - and it would NOT pop! She tried 4 or 5 different ways - nope! My nephew tried 4 or 5 different ways - no dice! We were laughing SO HARD, as were 2-3 different Dads around us - but they COULD NOT get that thing to pop!!! Finally, as most of us adults stood laughing like hyenas, a wise Mom walked up and snagged it with some sort of pin! It was like one of those trick candles that you cannot blow out.

The kids and I went outside and played a couple games of shuffleboard, and then went up to Deck 9 to hang out and get some lunch. After lunch, I relaxed by Pinnochio's and the kids played some Ping Pong and Foosball. After a while, nephew went back to OQ for a bit and I took my niece to the stateroom to shower and change into clothes for the evening as she was heading to the Lab for "graduation" rehearsal, and would not have time after the ceremony to change before the evening show/dinner.

Sis, BIL and I met at the Walt Disney Theater for the "Celebrate The Journey" graduation. Ocean Quest kids did not participate, but my nephew joined us to cheer on his little sis. We snickered as she came down the stairs right behind the counselor holding the Oceaneers Lab flag, because at the bottom of the stairs - she just disappeared! Her brother said, "OH, she's down!" Well she popped back up again and promptly went down again as she went up the steps to the stage! She got up again, shrugged her shoulders and laughed and took her place on the stage singing and clapping and smiling. Unlike another poster reported from an earlier Mexican Riviera sailing, all the kids on this sailing had the Mickey mortar board ears. She went back to the Lab with the group, checked herself out (we learned the hard way last time to avoid the Lab at all costs after graduation, as it is swamped with parents checking out the kids w/o check out privileges ) and met us at the snack stand outside the theater. We went back in and got our seats for "Remember the Magic". We didn't cry this year - as we had rebooked our next cruise earlier in the week. While I knew I would be back with the kids, I was not sure how my Sis and BIL would take to cruising. I was pleasantly surprised on Night 3, when passing the Cruise Desk, when my Sis said, "Is this where you rebook - let's pick out our next dates and get it done!"

After the show, Sis, BIL and I went to Ocean Quest so my nephew could show off some of his handiwork from the week, and get his picture taken with some of his new friends. Then it was up to Deck 5, where my niece showed off her work, and begged to stay until dinner to "Make Up What You Missed". She had missed the all-important Flubber earlier, and made a sample for her and her brother.

Dinner this final night was in Animator's again. Leo was still out due to his back. Our server this evening was an Assistant Server who got promoted to Server - starting this evening. He was from Serbia and said to call him "Z". He was very sweet, but nervous, and we told him to relax - we would go easy on him. We handed out our gratuities and thanked Roberto for taking care of us. Leo's girlfriend, Katarina (a server in another section) from the Czech Republic, came by to thank us on behalf of Leo, and we gave her his envelope and the picture my niece had drawn for him.

From dinner, we fought our way through Shutters and went directly to our favorite spot for "Till We Meet Again" where we hung out - while the kids ran around with our cameras and took pictures of the characters when they came out.

After the show, all of us went back up to the staterooms to change into jammies and get our bags closed up and outside the doors. After my nephew took care of his personal "junk", he went down to OQ one last time and promised to be back when they closed at 1AM. After some last minute struggling with the bags going back home with BIL, I finally got our bags out at 11:45. I gave Guest Services a quick call to apologize for being late - they said no problem - and someone picked them up for us within 5 minutes.

My nephew came in on time, and he and I were out on our verandah and watched as we sailed by San Diego. Niece had been out cold for almost an hour.

I set a wake-up call for 7:30 as we had the 8:45 breakfast the next morning (I figured the kids could sleep until 8:00) and we fell asleep quickly.

Next up: Disembarkation Day and off to Disneyland!

Also - did we get our wake-up call this cruise (unlike last year)?

 

[dismom73]

Great report! I can't wait to hear about Disneyland. We have yet to stay in CGH, so I can't wait to hear what you think about it.

 

[frdeb1999]

Great TR!

 

[LOLA2]

We were told upon making our hotel reservation and again upon check-in that the shuttles to the terminal started at 10:30. I think this is because they are bringing people to the hotel that are disembarking that day. However, upon speaking to the bell staff during our stay, we were assured that they could take us earlier. We asked if we could go at 9:45 as the terminal opened at 10:00 and we were told "yes". That morning, we had the bellman come get our bags at 9:15 just to be safe.

Once down in the lobby area, that was a bit chaotic. I've noted that you need to be watchful of your bags once out the front of the hotel as they are just sitting there - and they are off-loading the arriving guests bags in the same area. We just stood back a bit and had my BIL help out the bell staff in moving arriving bags and making sure our departing bags were all loaded on the same shuttle. There were 2-3 other small families doing the same thing. We probably did not leave the hotel until about 10:00 or 10:05 once al was said and done.

We liked the Crowne Plaza and would stay there again. Our room was immaculate, the pool was very nice, the location was good and the comp shuttle to nearby restaurants and attractions was very convenient. Only dislike - the restaurant in the hotel for breakfast.

I'm not sure where your home is in reference to the port area, so unfortunately I cannot answer that question. I will say that it is always nice to be able to get a good nights sleep and arrive as fresh as possible to the ship on departure day. It may eliminate any worries you have about oversleeping or car trouble, etc.

We will be at Crowne Plaza on Saturday. Did you need to put ypu names down upon check in that you wanted a shuttle, or do you just show up that morning?

 

[LOLA2]

July 10 - Day 5

Happy 11th Birthday to my dear nephew!

Once again we were up early as we were to meet in Studio Seas for our 8:45 departure for Las Caletes. We didn't get breakfast this day as we had read on a previous trip report that there is a continental breakfast on board the ferry that takes you there (and there was!). After getting checked in and grabbing towels (they also give you plastic bags to carry them in) we were off. Note: For all tours, they want to see everyones KTTW cards regardless of age and a photo ID for each person 18 and older - every Disney excursion we took was delayed because many people had to send someone to their staterooms to gather these items up. You will also need these items even if you are not on a Disney excursion to get on/off the ship.

We disembarked and met our main tour guide, Pepe, on the pier. Now Pepe looks like that Richard-Whatever-Shoe-Bomber guy, but is a fantastic host on the ferry! He gave a bit of information and we walked about 100 yards to where the ferry was waiting. We snagged seats on the top deck - a bit less noisy - and to help Sis and niece in case of any motion sickness (they had absolutely none - in fact Sis took 2 ginger pills the entire week and that was it!) It was overcast, again isolated storms in the area, but we did not get rained on.

Our ferry ride to Las Caletas was about 45-50 minutes total. It's not really an island, but can only be reached by water. Banderas Bay is a very large, half-mooned, shaped bay. The Magic docks at one end/tip and the ferry takes you past Puerto Vallarta and Mismaloya and docks at Las Caletas on the other end/tip of the bay.

The crew comes around with a big basket of breads, muffins, pastries for you to choose and the open bar is set up downstairs with all kinds of beverages which you go get yourself. They did bring juice around. There is a bathroom/head below deck 1. They do have music, but I did not find it too loud or annoying as some reports on TripAdvisor claimed. The crew is introduced and they also introduce the activity directors and the Spa employees (none of these are Disney employees). They have swimming with a Sea Lion available and they advise to sign up for this as well as the Spa on board, as these appts. are all gone by the time you arrive at Las Caletas. The crew passes out maps that shows you the different areas for beach, activities, spa, sightseeing and dining.

Once docked, it's all ashore. They direct those that are swimming with the Sea Lion or snorkling or kayaking to head to the main activity beach. BIL went with niece and nephew to that beach. Sis and I grabbed chairs under a palapa umbrella in between (and slightly raised up) the different beaches. From where we sat we could see the activity beach - 1 beach over - from where we sat - maybe 200 yards or so. There was a swimming beach to our left and one just below us. Note: the chairs are not nice loungers like on Castaway Cay or the ship. The are the wood and canvass sling version. You can adjust how far up/back you sit, but that's it. Also, they are somewhat awkward to get up from.

There are also hammocks up above this area with a water view and several other nooks and crannies to get comfortable and find chairs. They had big tubs of ice cold bottled water and vats of lemonade for you to help yourself, in addition to a couple of bars scattered around.

There are private bathrooms in the dining areas, but there are some big private bathroom/changing rooms up the hill a bit past the parrots - follow the "banos" signs and you will see 2 round buildings. These aren't "outhouses", but like most restrooms in Mexico, they don't want you to put the paper in the toilet - yuck.

Nephew got snorkel equip and swam right out to the floating dock to swim with the Sea Lion. Niece was bummed because while an excellent swimmer, she doesn't like using snorkel equip. They both had life jackets. BIL assisted her with swimming out to the podium, but she promptly got stung by a little jellyfish and that was it for her. Back she came and was content to come to the beach closer to us and play in the surf and sand. The workers have a vinegar rinse right there and took care of her stings. She didn't complain very much at all. Nephew continued on and was in a group of about 6-8 kids. After taking pictures and collecting nephew, BIL and nephew came over and the kids played in the sand/surf while we adults sunned ourselves. I left for my Reflexology massage at 12:15 for my 12:30 appt. Note: You need to be part billygoat (sorry Cubs fans) to make the steep, winding climb to the Spa. It is uphill all the way! Take plenty of time to stop and enjoy the scenery (which is fantastic) as you go!!

Once up there (and once I could breathe again) I checked in and they had me go into the nice bathroom and shower off my feet. If you get a full massage, I'm sure you shower your whole body. My massage was for 30 minutes. You are in open air massage rooms with nice fast ceiling fans and bamboo blinds over the windows. It is so quiet and nice up here. My Reflexology massage was $25.00 minus tip. Once finished, I met the family at our chairs and it was time for lunch.

We walked partly uphill again for lunch - there are several different venues - all with the same food. We went to the left as we left the middle beach area. There is a beautiful restaurant to the right of the path with seating under a big pavillion and a beautiful restaurant to the left on that path who's seating overlooks the beaches/water below.

They had sliced fruit, pasta salads, caesar salad, mosticcioli (sp?), bread and rolls, paella, bbq'd ribs, grilled chicken and much more that I forgot. Lots of desserts also and open bar. Note: I am a Diet Coke person, but for all of you Pepsi fans that have to do without, or bring your own onto the ship, you will be delighted to know they have Pepsi items on Las Caletas. A big vat of coffee with a LARGE bottle of Kaluah is next to the desserts. All food and beverages are included in the price of your excursion on the ferry and the island. Lunch was exceptionally good.

After lunch there was more beach time and then we finally headed back to the ferry about 2:00PM. In the meantime, the ferry had just dropped off the afternoon tour group just as we finished lunch - so I know they didn't find many beach chairs until we all departed about 30 minutes later.

Lots of dancing and music and games on the return trip to the ship. There was a conga line and the crew was lots of fun. Note: The island crew stood new the dock as we were leaving with a tip jar for the food/beverage employees and the activity crew had another jar as we disembarked. Save a few dollars for each - they all really do work hard for the group.

Once on board, we had just a little time to relax and shower before dinner. We have given our room steward, Raymond (who was excellent), some crepe paper and pirate birthday decorations that morning, and he had the hallway and our stateroom decorated for nephew's birthday. It was great, and he was so surprised and pleased!

The kids and I were ready first and headed down to get photos with Captain Jack. Sis and BIL met us outside on Deck 4 - we wanted to look for any "runners" as we departed Puerto Vallarta! We didn't see any, but the storm was back and lightening struck RIGHT NEXT TO THE SHIP!! . That was scary! We all had some kind of pirate paraphanalia on - except for BIL. Sis said she had brought him a hat but he wouldn't wear it. I had some fun with this and hinted that if he was not wearing any kind of pirate attire, he might just find himself the center of attention in the dining room. He flew to his room to get his hat! Well - Sis had gotten him the little roundish hat with the 2 ties on the side - but I think it was made for a child. It was maroon, and when he put it on - it looked like a fez! Off it went when we all laughed. Sis wanted her picture with Captain Jack and while we waited, the kids and I hit the shops (this was pretty much a daily occurance - we could never pass them without one or the other kid asking for "Just 5 minutes?" with those pleading eyes ) Well, who do I see in there buying a Captain Jack wig, earring and hat? BIL. He tried to claim it was for nephew (for his birthday), but nephew was already decked out in a hat, eyepatch, earrring and t-shirt. And, yep, BIL wore his into the restaurant! I am trying to get my pics loaded this weekend, so eventually you'll see what I mean. They went real well with his khaki pants and button down shirt!! LOL

Dinner was rushed as it is on Pirate Night, but at the end they brought out a nice chocolate cream/sponge cake with nephews name and "Happy Birthday" on it. We all had a piece and they delivered the rest to our stateroom. Again, he was so happy.

It had rained durning dinner, but at 9:50 when we hit deck, it was no longer raining, in fact, you could see the moon peeking out of the clouds. The party and fireworks were just as fantastic as we remembered and Sis and BIL were really into it.

None of us had room for the buffet, and Sis was wiped out so she went to bed while BIL filmed the buffet. Nephew was off to OQ to celebrate his birthday (they had decorated the room down there) and promised to be back by 1:00. We were all excited to be able to sleep in the next day! Niece and I got a few tiny pieces of dessert and went back to the stateroom.

Trauma - niece spilled her Sprite all over the carpet between the table and the sofabed and was sore that she had to truck all the way back to the drink station for another. We put down a towel and all was well. We watched TV for a bit and she was out like a light.

I had been staying awake all week to make sure nephew came in on time and had no problems, but this night all my early mornings/late nights caught up with me and I dozed off sometime just before midnight. Next thing I know - the phone is ringing. As you can imagine, I didn't know where the phone was, what day or time it was and where I was at!! It was Sharon from Ocean Quest, and in my stupor, all I caught was something about nephew, hot water and crying. I had her repeat everything - apparently my nephew had gone up to Deck 9 to make a hot chocolate to bring back to OQ - as it was freezing in there. Several kids went also. They were horsing around, and he grabbed his paper cup of scalding hot water after 1 of them moved it - and it scorched his right hand! Someone from the Medical Staff was in OQ with him, they had put it under cold water for about 30 minutes and had a cold pack on it and wanted me to come check it out! Sharon said they wanted to call earlier but nephew was crying and wouldn't let them because he thought he was in deep trouble for leaving OQ without permission. Talk about feeling like an ogre!! He was allowed to go get something to drink as long as he went right back to OQ or to the cabin!! Apparently we needed to clarify that and note the difference between getting a drink and running the ship/halls/elevators!!

Well, I shot down there and was relieved to see him sitting at a computer with a cold pack on, and holding a big conversation with Alberto from Medical. No blistering, just an angry red patch. After thanking them profusely, and reassuring them that I'm NOT an ogre, and telling nephew that he didn't do anything wrong and why, we went back to the cabin (still by 1:00!!). Niece had not stirred one bit!. I helped him change, put him in my bed instead of the top bunk and sat down next to him to calm him down and see if he would sleep.

Well, about 10 minutes later the cold pack was no longer cold. He cried hard (and very loudly I might add - sorry to anyone near us!). I had green sunburn gel I put on his hand and thankfully had our soft-sided cooler that was full of ice. I got out some Ziplock bags and made ice packs with them. I called the nurse again, (they would have only done the same things I was doing), re-applied gel and switched out ice packs for the next hour. Niece still did not stir!

About 2:00AM he decided he was hungry and wanted chicken noodle soup and a hot dog! Room service said 40 minutes! By the time they came he was fast asleep. Niece still never stirred - I was about to put a mirror unter HER nose! I put the food back outside (OK I did have a taste!), reapplied gel and got a new icepack and slipped in next to him and went to sleep. Got up about 4AM and did the same thing. Fast forwarding ahead - niece was a bit put out the next morning to find out she missed all the commotion and nephew was just fine - it never blistered - just looked like a bit of a sunburn "Look Auntie," he said, "It doesn't even sting anymore!". Thank goodness!

I will get into our last 2 sea days later......which were much calmer and very relaxing....

At Las Caletas did everyone drink out of bottles cans? Just wondering if it is safe to drink a margharhita?