The triplets sail again – Mom’s Day Eastern 2009

[dollysmom]

We were on your cruise and I love reading your report. It's cool to read what others were doing the same time as us. Keep it coming!

 

[chubbyjen]

Wanted to let you know that I'm also following your trip report! Love it! Can't wait to read more!!

 

[j2bmickey]

We were on your cruise and I love reading your report. It's cool to read what others were doing the same time as us. Keep it coming!

Thanks for stopping by and leaving the kind words. I remember your name from the cruise meet. Sorry we never got to meet in person.

Wanted to let you know that I'm also following your trip report! Love it! Can't wait to read more!!

You guys are too kind. I have fun telling the stories, but I know that I can get long winded so we'll see how everyone is feeling by the end.

 

[dollysmom]

I think we did meet on the first day. I was putting up my fish extender and door magnets and you were walking down the hallway. I noticed your bracelet. It was around the boat drill time I think? It was a very quick hello. I know we did not run into each other after that.

 

[chubbyjen]

You guys are too kind. I have fun telling the stories, but I know that I can get long winded so we'll see how everyone is feeling by the end.

Hahaha! Seriously...there's more? Isn't he done yet? Just kidding...

 

[j2bmickey]

I think we did meet on the first day. I was putting up my fish extender and door magnets and you were walking down the hallway. I noticed your bracelet. It was around the boat drill time I think? It was a very quick hello. I know we did not run into each other after that.

You know, that does sound vaguely familiar. I think you guys were on the same floor as us, so I am a little surprised we never ran into each other again. Probably because we never made it past the midship elevators with the painted back wall. The kids kept calling it their secret shortcut.

 

[j2bmickey]

Here is fair warning that I couldn't pair down the pictures so this will probably be a multi-part thread.


As much as we enjoy the sea days, it was still nice to wake up and see land on this morning. I’m not so sure that I could do the Transatlantic with SIX---days---in---a---row at sea. Perhaps if it was an adults only trip. Two other things that would greet us this morning were the RCI floating city “Liberty of the Seas” and rain.

I know there have been plenty of discussions of Royal versus Disney so I will not even get into that here. The one thing I will say is WOW! That is one big ship! It made the Magic look like a lifeboat.

I’m also not sure that I would always want to be around that many people for the entire cruise. Anyway, I don’t want to turn this into a debate report, soooo moving on.

As we are getting ready to head to Topsider’s for breakfast, it seems that the rain is starting to let up. Hopefully this will turn out to be the typical tropical storm that we hear about and clear skies will be with us shortly. We had something similar happen to us on Grand Cayman during the last cruise. Just as we walk outside on deck 9 the skies open up and it starts to pour down rain. You couldn’t even avoid it by walking under the covered sections it was raining so hard. I felt sorry for the people who had already left the ship because they had to be getting soaked and scurrying for cover. I couldn’t tell though since you couldn’t see the dock. As we slosh into the restaurant we are hoping to find an empty table because there is no way we are trying to sit outside. Luckily we found a couple of empty tables tucked in a corner.

We leisurely enjoyed our breakfast as we watched the rain continue to fall. DW also snuck down to get a photo and autograph from Jiminy Cricket since you don’t see him out very often.

Finally around 10, it seemed to show signs of stopping so we decided to pack our bags and brave the outside world. We included umbrellas and rain ponchos just in case, but since we had rented cars, we figured we would just drive until we found a patch of sunshine. We had made reservations with Arthur’s since I had seen good reviews, he was close to the port, and he gave us the best deal on two cars. My current concern was if he would have any cars left since we were running so late and I knew he had a smaller operation.

The plan was to leave the women and children in the port plaza while DNH and I went to get the cars and then come pick them up. As we cross the street (good idea not to bring the kids) and approach Arthur’s rental shack, I start getting a sinking feeling in my stomach, the place looks locked-up and deserted. Closer inspection brings the fears to full light, the door is locked and nobody is home. Uh-oh, now what are we going to do as I have heard that the on-site prices are typically pretty high. As we are contemplating options, another gentlemen from a different rental company sees us, pulls up, and asks if we need to rent a car. Well, we had a reservation with Arthur but we seem to have missed him. The guy mentions that he had seen him leave about 10 minutes ago and could call him if we liked. Really, you would do that? Sure, no problem the guy says and dials the number. Wow, I am already liking the friendliness of this island. It would definitely be a common theme throughout the day. He gets a hold of Arthur who was on the way to the airport to get ready for other clients, but agreed to come back and take care of us first. Sweet. This other gentlemen gives us a card and says that if Arthur doesn’t have what we need, come by as they are just down the road. You bet we will and thanks for the help. We had packed two-way radios so we could stay in contact as we motored the two cars around the island, but of course we didn’t think to bring one with us as we are picking up the cars. Maybe one of us should walk back over to the port and let everyone know what is going on. Nah, Arthur will be here soon and we will be on our way. Famous last words.

It is a welcome sight as Arthur pulls up. He is super friendly and only gives us a little grief about not showing up on time. He mentions that too many times people have made reservations and then just not shown up. He says that since he didn’t get a call or email, he figured the rain was keeping us on the boat. Huh, we never thought about trying to contact him to say we were running late but were still on our way. Several profuse apologies and hearty thank you’s seem to help as he is never in a bad mood. Our next fear soon comes to bear however as the only car he has left is a WELL USED Geo Tracker. There is no way we are getting all 8 of us in that. Luckily Arthur seems to know everyone as there is an available car at a hotel up the road and one of the agencies back at the port has a car seat. Cool, we are on our way. Unfortunately up the road actually meant in Phillipsburg, which required driving almost the entire length of a one-way street before being able to come back on the opposite one-way to the hotel. And oh yeah, these streets are narrow and busy. Oh man, we are so in trouble when we get back to the port. Thankfully for us, during Arthur’s phone calls he had relayed a message to the rest of the crew so they at least knew we were still on the island. Plus, since we had been through town once, we could direct them to certain shops. Information that would prove pretty useless later in the day.

After a quick gas stop we were finally heading back to the port. Our original plan had been to drive around the island in a counter-clockwise direction and just stop at whatever grabbed us. This would leave us around Maho beach in the early afternoon to watch the planes land. Arthur suggested we go the other way since we were getting a late start and the traffic would be much better in the late afternoon coming down the east side of the island. Since we knew the kids would like the Butterfly Farm, and Le Galion Beach seemed pretty safe, we decided to head there first and then branch out if and when we felt the urge later. So a little after 11 o’clock we had the crew and gear loaded up and were headed off to explore the island. It’s a good thing I had decided to take a much more mellow approach to this vacation or I would have been freaking out about the delays by now.

 

[j2bmickey]

People have reported that the roads are not marked very well and it is true. However, it is fairly easy to navigate your way around and there are usually signs at major intersections that point the way to the main attractions on the island. We took the scenic route and meandered along the coast on our way to the Butterfly Farm.

The setup here is pretty basic with a small gift shop and essentially a giant net spread out across the farm. Of course inside the net is what everyone is here for and they do not disappoint. There is a path that weaves back-and-forth which is lined with tropical plants and trees and of course tons of different colored butterflies.

They also give a short guided tour and show you the difference between a moth cocoon and butterfly chrysalis. If you are at the farm early enough in the morning, you can even see butterflies emerge. We weren’t even close.

Surprisingly, the kids grew weary quicker than I would have expected, even after we started getting the butterflies to land on each other. It probably had something to do with being a little muggy and they really wanted to go to the beach. So off we go for the short jaunt over to Le Galion Beach. Along the way we pass one of the horse stables and luckily we don’t see anyone out riding. DD LOVES to ride horses and would have strongly requested that we stop and ride. The problem would have been that I don’t think this establishment allows anyone under 7 on the trail rides even if they know how to ride. Anyway, she didn’t bring it up so we didn’t have to find out.

We chose the left (North) road to the beach where the restaurant is and pulled into the parking area. There is a pretty nice picnic area with lots of trees between the parking area and the beach. A section of the beach around the restaurant has chairs and umbrellas for rent, or you can just walk a little farther down and plant yourself in the sand. Now when I say restaurant, I mean more of a beach bar with a small galley and tables under shade structures. It was perfect for the setting. It also had a couple of small bathrooms and a rental hut for canoes and such. Actually I think I read somewhere that it used to be a hotel.

We wanted umbrellas so we inquired and were instructed to find the guy in the camo shorts named Mike. We quickly spotted him and asked about two open chairs close to the bar. He said to go ahead and grab them and he would catch up with us later. I have a feeling we are not going to see much of the rest of the island. After getting the kids greased up and loaded with sand toys, the adults decide to order a tasty beverage and change into swim suits. I snag a table at the bar while DW heads to the bathroom to change (I didn’t realize at the time that I could have just placed drink orders with Mike also). The waiter takes our order as I relax under the shade and gaze out over the water. Oh yeah, there is no way we are going to see any of the other sites on the island. This really is a nice beach that is perfect for families with smaller children.

There is a reef that keeps the water calm and clear, it is not very deep, and there are a couple of platforms that you can wade/swim too.

We also didn’t notice any nudity which we were hoping to keep from explaining to the kids this trip. It wasn’t so much explaining why other people didn’t have clothes on as much as convincing them that we didn’t need to do the same. I did talk DNH into going topless though. I know, I know, that was a cheap joke.

Returning from my own attire change, the other adults have now joined the table to place their drink order and suggest getting a snack for the kids. They all return to the beach chairs and kids while I relax with a Carib beer and wait for the food. This would become the brew of choice at all establishments for the next two days. The waiter returns and inquires as to why all of my friends have deserted me. I point to the chairs a few yards away and reply that they haven’t gone far. He asks if I would like to start a tab and go join them. Well sure. Another example of the friendliness that we encountered on the island. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the sand, splashing in the water, and jumping off the platforms. Before we knew it, it was almost four o’clock and since the ladies still wanted to shop, we decided to head back toward the port.

We took a more direct route back into Phillipsburg, but still managed to stop at the border for a picture.

We also went through a small village with a winding downhill road that gave a great view of the two ships sitting in the port. So of course we pulled off the road for more pictures.

 

[j2bmickey]

As we rolled into town, DND was sound asleep so DNH agreed to keep her with us as we left the triplets with the ladies. The longer we drove through town, the more I began to think that maybe we dropped everyone off a little too soon. I was thinking they could start on one end and work their way to the other end. In hindsight, it would have been better to just drop them in the middle. We’ll know better for next time. DNH and I arrive back at Arthur’s and he is friendly as ever, asking how our day was and making sure everything was ok with the cars. We tell him that we had a blast and thank him again for his service. We are then off to the water taxi, but not before stopping at an outdoor pub for another Carib since we didn’t have to worry about driving any more.

When we get to the dock in Phillipsburg we turn on the radio (we did get smarter as the day wore on) and prepare to find the rest of our crew. Almost immediately DW comes on asking if we can hear her. I reply yes that we are in the plaza right by the boat dock. She says that she thinks they are just west of us in a jewelry store. I have a puzzled look on my face until another couple points to the left, thanks. As we round the corner we spot DW only a few shops down. It seems that both DW and DNW have found what they are looking for and want our opinions before handing over a child as payment. Actually, DW didn’t need my go ahead since she was looking for tourmaline earrings. DNW however, wanted a diamond anniversary band to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary and figured she better get buy-in from DNH to make life smoother.

While they were perusing the choices, DD and I crossed the street to a cigar shop. I wanted a high quality cigar and they definitely had quite a selection. They were very insightful in helping me select a brand to fit my tastes. I also picked up a small wooden turtle for DD. Upon returning to the jewelry store, the neighbors had found the perfect ring and were now negotiating the proper price to keep everyone happy.

Since the older kids were getting restless, I volunteered to take them out and see if we could find the Del Sol store. This was a much bigger store than I had seen before. It had a larger kids section complete with stuffed animals whose paws change colors. Of course all three of the kids head straight for them. While they change the color of everything in the store, I find DW a t-shirt. Knowing the answer before I even ask, I inquire as to what if anything they wanted. Needless to say, we left the store with three stuffed cats and a stuffed dog. Yes, I am a pushover.

We wandered around a little more and then decided we had better start heading back to the ship since it was almost 7 and the all aboard was 7:30. When we walked up to the water taxi dock, the ticket booth was closed but the boat captain said there was one last boat leaving in 15 minutes that we could take and pay for on the other side. Perfect, that gives us just enough time to pop into the liquor store and buy some guavaberry rum that I have heard so much about. We also bought a coconut rum and a banana crème rum that we thought was MUCH better than the guavaberry. I don’t know if we got an off brand or what, but nobody in our crew was very impressed. We did learn an interesting pointer though. Since the bottles of rum are hand made and painted, you can claim them as a souvenir instead of alcohol on the customs form. Of course on the way out we had to practice our pirate pose.

By the time we got back to the port, it was empty. I mean not a soul. It was very eerie and I might have thought both ships had left if I couldn’t see the Magic.

Talk about squeezing every last minute of fun out of a port, it seemed like we had just entered our rooms when the anchors were pulled and we headed out. Needless to say, we didn’t make it in time for dinner and they were probably beginning to wonder if DD and I had something against Animator’s Palate. Instead we ordered room service and started preparing for pirate night.

We all had costumes and glow necklaces and tattoos thanks to the FE gifts. And this time there would be no princesses, only pirates.

We ended up missing all of the character appearances but still had a blast goofing around the picture sets and checking out the pin trading station.

As the pirate party drew near, we moved our marauding up to deck nine. This was a lot of fun as usual and the kids participated more this time. We also got to see Mickey on the high wire (too windy last time) which was very cool. It didn’t seem quite as packed this time until the food buffet started. I’ve never seen so many hungry people on a cruise ship.

The towel animal tonight was a monkey.

 

[TexDisneyMom]

great report!

 

[j2bmickey]

great report!

Thanks, I'm glad you like it.

 

[dollysmom]

You guys certainly did make most of that port day. Did you ever make it to Maho Beach?

 

[j2bmickey]

You guys certainly did make most of that port day. Did you ever make it to Maho Beach?

Yeah we had quite an eventful day, but it was fun. Unfortunately, Maho was one of the stops that was not accomplished on this trip. Mostly because of the late start.

 

[j2bmickey]

We received a copy of the nighbors pictures, and since I am running slow on the next chapter , I thought I would try to appease the masses with a couple of cool pictures.

 

[j2bmickey]

Today would start out pretty early as we had excursions planned through Disney. The guys were going on the Doubloon Sail and Snorkel, while the ladies went to Coral World. We generally try to book excursions on our own, but both the sail and snorkel and the semi-sub at Coral World were only available through Disney. What can you do? So after hauling a couple of food trays from Topsiders to the room, we loaded up the two crews and headed to our respective meeting points.

Since our trip involved a pirate ship, I was pretty sure I would have a good time. When we met the crew member Alex on the pier, I knew it would be a blast. This guy is a character and already had everyone smiling with his antics. As he is collecting the tickets from everyone, he borrows a paperclip that was holding one group’s tickets. He then uses this to hold all of his tickets to demonstrate to the CM’s how efficient and professional he is.

After a short walk to the end of the pier, and more shenanigans along the way, we are introduced to our boat and the rest of the crew.

These guys were great (Captain Dave, Marine Biology Officer Meagan, and First Mate Alex) and went out of their way to make sure everyone was enjoying themselves. As we are motoring out of the harbor, they go over the plan for the day while most of us gaze at the Magic and the fire drill that the crew is practicing. I learned from our room steward Made later that he was one of the people being lowered from the crane and it was a little scary. I don’t know what it is about sailing by the Magic in another boat that always gives me goose pimples and requires a picture.

We also got to see a very impressive house complete with tugboat and pirate ship docked at their personal pier. According to the crew, the house is owned by a doctor with a couple of children. The pirate ship started out as just the back third and mast to be a playhouse for the kids. They ended up not being overly excited about it and he was so he ended up building the whole thing. It is built completely from teak, sails, and cost approximately $1.5 million. They keep trying to get Meagan to be the babysitter so they can play with all the toys.

Heading into more open waters on our way to Buck Island, the four of us were sitting in the very front of the boat and were soon exposed to the free add-on…………………….A WATER COASTER. It started out fairly mild with the occasional splash, but soon built into some pretty good rocking and soaking. DNS2 started feeling sick so he and DNH went to the back of the boat while DNS1 and I held our ground. The further we got from St. Thomas, the bigger the waves seemed to get. At times it felt like the entire boat was coming out of the water and crashing into the waves. Before long DNS1 decided he was drenched enough and headed toward the back of the boat. But not me, I was having a blast. Keep her steady captain, wait a power cat is passing us, ramming speed and prepare to board. Oh, maybe that is too much over-the-top.

By the time we reached the snorkel area, half the boat was soaked and several people were looking a little green in the gills. The crew later confided that it was the roughest water they had seen in years. Buck Island however, is protected and we enjoyed some pretty calm water. Of course neither one of the boys is interested in snorkeling. DNS2 is still feeling sick and I think DNS1 was having sympathy pains. We tried to tell them it would be fun and they would feel better getting in the water. And of course if any one blew chunks, that would just attract the fish. Anyway……, the water was a little murky from the sandy bottom being stirred up from the recent storms, but it was still fun and Meagan was great to point out and explain the different turtles, fish, etc. DNH even had a turtle surface right beside him. As we ventured from the sandy area to the coral, DNS1 finally decided he would give it a try. He really enjoyed himself and even got to see a few turtles. Of course he didn’t get much time in before it was time to head back. Our official call back to the boat was supposed to be Meagan blowing on the conch shell, but Captain Dave made it a little difficult.

The trip back to St. Thomas was much more relaxing. With help from some of the stowaways, all of the sails were raised, and we glided back with no engine whatsoever. All I can say is WOW!, that is a very cool experience that I want to try again. It is very peaceful to just ride in on the waves and jam to some beach tunes. Of course the tasty beverages also help. The painkiller was quite tasty and I think I found my second favorite beer, Blackbeards. This was a little darker than the Caribe, but still quite yummy and the bottle cap has a skull and crossbones. Did I mention that I like pirates???? Another task on the ride in is the official Doubloon Tatoo. This is a custom made temporary that is thicker and lasts longer than most paste-ons. You can have them placed anywhere, and of course half the fun is the application. The crew wets a paper towel and smacks it down to mark the spot. Of course with the guys I think they launch from about three feet away to get the appropriate SMACK.

As we neared the docks, the sails were lowered (which I got to help with) and Alex modeled the t-shirts that were available for purchase. Including the Pirate Girl form-fitting pink tank top. It was hilarious. I couldn’t decide which I liked so I bought two. After a final cocktail and pictures, we headed back to the ship to meet the girls and grab some lunch.

 

[j2bmickey]

Over lunch, the ladies report that they also had a good time although nobody would pet a shark, wimps. They also said that their drive over was almost as exciting as our trip to the snorkel area.

DW insert – the ladies head to promenade lounge to meet our shore excursion. After sitting for a few minutes someone tells us we have to check in with the desk and get out sticker. We were the Pocahontas group, cool. As we head out to meet our taxis, DND wants to sit with DD and I but unfortunately there was not enough room on our row. Needless to say she was not happy the whole ride to coral world. Which… was… long… enough… traveling on the wrong side of the very narrow and winding roads. Once we arrived, we were lucky enough to be in the first group to head to the “submarine”. With the water being murky from the over night rain storms, it was not as cool as I imagined it would be. We still enjoyed ourselves and DD thought the arrow crab was really cool. The crew of the sub sent a diver into the water to feed the fish and collect interesting marine life to show the spectators. That was pretty neat since we wouldn’t have seen them with the water being so cloudy.

After our sub trip we ventured into coral world to see the rest of the park. There is a really cool area where you can pet a sea cucumber, sea star and a fuzzy sea urchin (this was odd as they are of the spikey variety). The hermit crabs didn’t want anything to do with us when we picked them up and the conch hid in their shells, but it was still entertaining to watch them “walk” around in the water. DD really enjoyed touching the sea animals, but she didn’t want anything to do with the sharks. Oh well, neither did I. (DH edit shown above - wimps).

We enjoyed watching the sea turtles and exploring the tower and undersea observatory.

We didn’t get to see the entire park and explore the beach next door which we have heard so many good things about. Next time we’ll plan on missing our taxi back to the port and play at the beach and ocean for a while before we head back. All too soon it was time to catch our cab and head back to meet the guys for lunch. Back on the narrow roads and more driving on the wrong side of the street. So glad I’m not in charge of driving. End DW insert.

After lunch we decided to head into town and do a little shopping, if we could find a taxi. Anyone who has been to St. Thomas knows that they are plentiful and ready to take you where you want to go. It started to get a little annoying as we walked the streets of Charlotte Amalie and had someone ask every 5 steps if we were ready to go back to the ship. No thanks, we just got here. And besides, you asked me the same thing about a block ago. We also had a guy walk up and comment on my new Doubloon t-shirt that a good friend of his designed the logo. He then went on to ask us what we were shopping for and said he could help with anything. It was a little bit creepy. Based on my limited experience on both islands, I think St. Thomas is prettier, but St. Maarten is more relaxed as far as shopping and taxi drivers.

We weren’t really looking for anything special this time. I needed a new flash card for the underwater camera and DNW needed a new lens cap for her DSLR. I think mine was the more difficult as my camera only takes a 1GB card and nobody sells under 4GB anymore. After browsing several stores we found an electronics store that had just about everything including my flash card and DNW lens cap. With that accomplished, we wandered around some more and ended up in another Del Sol store. You would think that we wouldn’t need much after the haul on the previous island. Wrong, we found plenty. Of course none of the other adults had the pleasure in the previous port so they felt they needed to try one of everything. DW and DNH bought a pair of color-changing shades that are pretty cool and come with a lifetime guarantee. If anything happens to them, including losing them, they will send you another pair. Hmmm, maybe I should have tried a little harder to find a pair I liked. I seem to have a real problem with braking and scratching sunglasses lately.

After more aimless wandering, we found the perfect spot to relax before heading back to the ship, The Harbor Bar.

It was a fun hangout and several people wanted to know about my Doubloon t-shirt that I was sporting. Of course I was happy to oblige with a story, imagine that. The bartender made DNW some kind of drink that had so many different kinds of alcohol and twists, we weren’t sure what to call it except tasty. Luckily we were able to find a taxi that agreed to take us back to the port. The trip back involved lots of traffic and made me glad to be a passenger. It also allowed us time to watch the seaplanes landing and taking off from the harbor. That is another thing that I definitely want to try some day.

Once on the boat, we had another relaxing evening of hanging out, delivering FE gifts, and meeting characters. Maybe that is not so relaxing, but we did get some cool pictures. One of the best is DD and DND posing with Cinderella. It was one of the few times that DND was not at all scared to meet a character. Maybe if was because of DD with her or maybe because they all had the same color dress.

DNW also got another one of her cool pictures with the Queen of Hearts. She had gone to get an autograph of Alice and the Queen and almost caused a riot when Alice signed on the same page as the Queen. She was livid and threatened to take everyone’s head. I wish I would have been there as it sounds hilarious.

DW and I also went on an autograph search later that evening as most of the kids were starting to fall asleep. We were mainly after Donald and Daisy since we had not seen them out much. We caught them both in the same place although none of our pictures turned out very well. As we were deciding what else we might want to do, we noticed that the rebooking desk was empty. Ah-ha, this seems like the perfect opportunity since we missed it on the last cruise. The CM was very helpful and quickly had us rebooked for a dummy date. We don’t plan on cruising next year since we want to catch the last year of the College World Series in Rosenblatt Stadium. Although, we still haven’t completely ruled out the 5-day with two stops at Castaway Cay.

The towel animal tonight was an elephant.

 

[princess22]

I'm in the middle of reading your TR and I love it so far. I had to stop reading for a moment to ask you a question. You mentioned that someone in your party who was underage for the kids club did a trial run in the club. Is this the two year old? Are they allowed in the kids club if they are two and potty trained? Thanks

Now back to reading your wonderful TR...

 

[j2bmickey]

I'm in the middle of reading your TR and I love it so far. I had to stop reading for a moment to ask you a question. You mentioned that someone in your party who was underage for the kids club did a trial run in the club. Is this the two year old? Are they allowed in the kids club if they are two and potty trained? Thanks

Now back to reading your wonderful TR...

Thanks for stopping by.

Yes, DND who is 2 was the one who gave the kids club a trial.

If they are potty trained, you can talk to the CM's and they will let them in. Note that they will not help the child in any way when going to the bathroom.

 

[j2bmickey]

DW Insert- Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to mmmeeee, Happy Birthday to me! End Insert.

So after two adventure filled days in port, it was time to relax, sleep in, and celebrate DW birthday. Oh, wait, this is me telling the story. Yes I did sleep in (a little, won’t say the time), but not as much as everyone else so I once again headed for the gym. Since I was an experienced sea jock by now, I contemplated joining the spin class. Nah, let’s not get carried away.

Returning to the room I found people stirring and the first round of donuts being devoured by the kids. DW went for the next round of food while I hopped in the shower. When she returned we took DD to go birthday shopping while the neighbors fed and dressed their crew. We didn’t have much time as the neighbors had a couples’ massage scheduled and didn’t want to be late. So after a few good tips, DW headed back to the room to watch the kids while DD and I finished our shopping. DD was leaning more towards the knick-knacks, but we settled on a new watch and a couple of Disney prints.

When we got back to the room, the twins were getting restless but DND was not. So I agreed to take the triplets site seeing while DW and DND hung out and relaxed. We wandered around taking pictures and spent most of the time horsing around down Beat Street.

There was also a princess gathering this morning that I knew we didn’t want to miss since we needed Snow White’s autograph. We didn’t do this on the last cruise so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I should have known it would be efficient and I was impressed. They have the 3 princesses spread out in the lobby and you work your way through a kind of maze to get autographs and pictures. They have staging areas where parents can stand and take pictures yet be out of the way. We even talked DNS2 into getting a picture with Snow White.

At one point I glanced up to see Captain Hook walking around the floor above us and shaking his fist at the scene below. It was quite humorous.

With this mission accomplished, DNS1 mentioned that he wanted the captains autograph so we headed back to Treasure Ketch. Man it felt like I was spending a lot of time in the shops today. Captain Tom didn’t seem overly thrilled to be there, but he did sign anything that people brought to him.

After satisfying the autograph seekers, we headed back to the room to open presents and then head for the pool. DW feigned surprise as she opened the gifts from DD and I since she has made some strong suggestions on what she would prefer from the shops. Of course you just never know what you will get with us, plus I picked up a DCL roller duffle that was a surprise. She also didn’t know what the neighbors were getting her which turned out to be Dallas Stars memorabilia. We used to live in Dallas, had season tickets, and DW is a HUGE fan. This went over quite well, especially the new NON-tradeable pin for her lanyard.

Time to go camp out in some loungers around the pool and relax with some lunch. Oh wait, we still have the kids so no time to relax, much. We pretty much spent the rest of the afternoon around and in the Goofy Pool, although I did send DW and DNW over to the Quiet Cove Pool for a little while. They reported that it was quite pleasant although there were no available cushion chairs.

DW is also reminding me that this was the day the she and DD went to the towel folding. Oh right, I forgot about that. That’s what I get for not taking any notes past Wednesday. As they did that I wasn’t sure what to do and just ended up wandering the ship for a while looking for interesting subjects to photograph, watching the ice carving, and dropping by the art auction for a few. With everyone meeting up back at the pool, we ended the afternoon swimming and watching a showing of Hatching Pete on the Ariel View Television.

We had time before dinner to pose for pictures and we chose the sunset Mickey. I don’t remember this one from the last cruise but I think it is one of the best pictures we had taken. Tonight was semi-formal and our restaurant was Lumiere’s which worked out pretty cool. Dinner was good and most of us ordered lobster tails as usual. The entertainment for the night included a dancing spoon magic trick which Okim taught to all of the kids and of course singing happy birthday to DW. DNS1 also got to practice his new skill of using the crumber that Samuel had taught him.

After dinner we went and caught Lynn Trefzger’s show which was geared toward the family and quite good. The kids still like to tell the chewing gum joke and getting a bubble butt. I have heard she has a pretty good adult show also, but we didn’t get to see it this time around. DND was starting to get pretty run down at this point from all of the sun, so DNW decided it was time to head back to the room and relax. The rest of us changed and went to spend quality time in the arcade.

DNH and I had talked about catching some of the late night adult shows again, but we were pretty wiped out by the time we got back to the room. It didn’t take much encouragement for both of us to stay put. Once the decision was made, DNH did his superman impression and had changed into pajamas and was laying on the bed before I had taken two steps back towards my room.

The towel animal tonight was a dog, a dog, an elephant and a monkey. The last three are from the earlier class.

 

[j2bmickey]

Oh yeah, back to everyone’s favorite island. I am seriously considering that 5-day two stop CC cruise next year. If I can just figure out how to squeeze that cruise in with the College World Series and DW 40th birthday and my high school reunion, I am golden.

Everyone woke up pretty early this morning, probably because of the excitement. We decided to head up to deck 10 to watch the islands and enjoy the breeze. As we neared Castaway Cay, the ladies decided to take the kids to breakfast and get everything ready. DNH and I stayed where we were to watch the approach to the island. You could see the cranes from a distance as they get ready for the bigger ships on the other side of the docking peninsula. It is very cool to watch the scenery as you approach the island and DNH and I were probably acting like a couple of giddy school kids, I mean intrigued grownup males. We were also discussing if we were going to pull into port forward as it sure seemed that way. As we got closer we noticed that the captain was starting a slow arc which probably meant no forward pull-in. I also glanced over the side and noticed that the starboard steering station was still covered which served as more proof. As the captain continued his arc, DNH and I decided to head to the back of the boat for breakfast. I glanced over the edge on the port side as we were walking off and sure enough, the steering station was uncovered for a backward docking.

As we made our way through the buffet line and walked out the back, we found the rest of our crew at a perfect location. They had snagged a table in the back corner which provided a beautiful view as we backed into port. Of course we also shared our view and railing with all who walked up to our area. This was also another time to see the work of Allesandro our head waiter. He was outside helping seat people and clean up after they left. I am still really impressed with his work ethic over the entire cruise.

After finishing breakfast and taking a few cool pictures, we headed down to the room for final preparations for the day. For whatever reason, it took a long time once we docked before they made the announcement that Castaway Cay was now open for plundering. As we headed down to the gangplank, DND was still looking a little flush so DNW decided to run by the infirmary as a precaution. DNH decided to go with her and gave me the twins ID and said he would catch up with us later. So the five of us continued on our way although it seemed to take for----ev-----er to get off the ship. This was probably because DW had a cabana massage (another part of her bday presents) scheduled for 10 a.m. and it was fast approaching.

Even though she was about to be running late, DW decided to go ahead and drop off her pre-labeled postcards at the post office since first thing is generally one of the least busy. Unfortunately the worker had gone to get change so no mailing yet. At this point she is officially late and decides to hoof it with some of the stuff and will drop it off in chairs for us to find. I ask the kids how they would like to travel and they unanimously reply “wait for the tram”. So we hang out and people watch while waiting for our transportation. Seemingly in line with the theme for this morning, the tram is running a little slow while a steady crowd of people builds at the waiting area. And several of them are displaying somewhat of a Donald Duck attitude. Come on people, you’re in the Bahamas on a BEAUTIFUL morning. Thankfully the tram arrives and Everyone finds a seat.

As we reach the tram stop, we first head to a most important stop if traveling with kids, the wagon corral. These wagons make traveling the rest of the way to the beach so much easier with kids and gear and I am surprised at how many people still don’t know about them. Hmmm, maybe I should strike that part as it helps keep the far end of the beach less crowded. The triplets and I took turns pulling and pushing the wagon to our preferred location on Family Beach to find DW just now heading off from the same location. She hollers that she has arranged four chairs with two umbrellas around the wagon that she had snagged. As she scampers off I am thinking to myself, why in the world is she messing around when she is already late for her massage. That is just the way she is, make sure everyone else is comfy before taking care of herself. She also mentions that we just need to follow the wagon tracks to find our landing spot. Ohhh mmyyy, that stared an adventure that the kids were all over. All three of them suddenly transformed into the great scout on the jungle safari. I tried to veer off the trail a couple of times, but they made sure I followed the correct route and didn’t wander off into the sea. Soon we had found the camp and prepared for the rest of the days adventures.

All three of the kids headed straight for the water while I organized all of the toys and gear in piles. They soon returned asking for snorkel gear as DNS1 had remembered the fun he had at St. Thomas. I helped them don their gear while reminding that their probably wouldn’t be as much to see this close to the beach. I also told them that they had to wear a yellow life vest if they wanted to breathe with the snorkel. They weren’t overly excited about the wardrobe requirements and decided that just using the mask was good enough.

Before long, they excitedly tell me that they are seeing fish and I need to come look. So I took the underwater camera with its new flash card and waded out to see what all the hoopla was about. Sure enough, there were a couple of pretty good sized fish swimming around.

I snapped a few pictures and DNS1 inquires if he can use the camera for a while. I told him that I wasn’t sure if the flash card would hold up and let him use the waterproof film camera instead. It turns out that the flash card is fine (which is very cool since I was afraid that the camera might be messed up), but he was more than happy with the film version. He ended up taking some pretty good pictures too.