DAY 5--Sunday, July 8--check in to Cruise Ship (Change in itinerary)
We were scheduled for Haiti, Jamaica, and Cozumel, but due to the Hurricane this week we were notified that it will get switched, which means all the shore excursions we agonized over selecting are cancelled and we will need to make new plans today. Our goal was to leave the hotel by 9:30am; we did it and arrived at cruise ship terminal at 11:30am. We checked in smoothly and found out we are back to our original itinerary--yay! We all got lanyards for our key cards and posed for the obligatory group photo. On board, we toured the ship, signed all the kids into kids programs, and played at pool, discovered our way around the ship, and set some ground rules for the kids and family.
Heather & Jeff, Austin, Bryce met us on the boat and we have an assigned dinner table together. At tonight's dinner I ordered escargot and worked hard to get everyone to try it. I ate it, Addisyn had a bite, Piper and Marissa couldn't swallow it, and Chris could barely even look at it. Chris and I got freedom to wander alone and hang out with Jeff & Heather while the kids were at kids club from 8-10pm. Everyone was in bed by 11pm. We have two adjoining cabins with adjoining balconies, with Chris and I assigned to each room so we got an extra key so we each have access to both--reality is the kids are in one room and Chris and I are in the other.
DAY 6--Mon. July 9--Cruise day 2, at sea, first Formal dinner
We let the kids sleep in while Chris & Karen went to the full size gym with cardio equipment and weights, and the running track--an adjacent outside deck that loops the entire ship. It felt SO good! I am so glad we did that! We left a note for the kids in case they woke up looking for us, but do you think they did? ha!
We all headed to breakfast at the Windjammer Cafe buffet. The kids went to kids club during the day while mommy & daddy went to returning RCCL guest reception and got a preview of tomorrow night's show. This afternoon we found some space at the pool. We found the splash pad, a pool Marissa can stand up in, and the circular current pool was fun. We left early enough to get all the girls' nails & hair doen for formal night dinner. We posed for pictures and were late to dinner (again). We tried our best not to pay attention to Marissa eating with her fingers--she found out she can ask the waiter for mashed potatoes and mac & cheese.
After dinner we coincidentally wound up on the Rising Tide bar (aka UFO bar) at the same time as the Captain, shook hands with him, then sat behind him in the spotlight while he addressed the masses for the Captain's Welcome Reception, then Chris and Jeff chit chatted with him while we waited for the ride up to finish.
The kids went to kids club again! Marissa's group pretended they were astronauts and went on a field trip around the ship to find aliens! They wore headbands with a balloon on it, then walked (holding a rope to stay together) around, pretending the glass elevator was their rocket ship, and checking to see if aliens were disguised as human if they returned the gesture of wiggly hand and sticking tongue out. Addisyn and Piper got to be self-signers and check themselves in & out of Voyagers on their own. Chris & Karen got to hang out with Heather & Jeff on Deck 8 Central Park.
10pm is too late for the girls to do their journals...we need to find a better time for them to work on them. I also suggested a bribe for writing 1 cent/word, or double for good writing done on time--to be used for souvenier cash. They are really making the journaling feel like more work than it was intended to be.
DAY 7--Tue. July 10--Cruise day 3, Labadee, Haiti
After breakfast at Wipeout Cafe and quick 5 minutes at the basketball court, we disembarked on the Gangway, where music and dancers greeted us. Royal Carribean basically owns the whole island we were on. We took a tram over to our beach where we had a cabana bed reserved on "Adventure Beach", probably named because the zip line was right over our heads. We had shade, a cooler, an attendant "for our happiness", a breakwater jetty to block the waves and floating mats, which were nice because of all the coral on the ground... we got a few minor ouchies on our feet. The girls sunburned the back of their legs from laying on the floating mats. The ship's crew brought BBQ lunch on land.
Marissa loved kids club.
Marissa loves this merry-go-round!
Tonight's evening show after dinner impressed us--it was at the performers pool including acrobats, high divers, synchronized swimmers, and trampoline acts.
DAY 8--Wed. July 11--Cruise day 4, Jamaica
Today's excursion we planned because it was one of the few adventures everyone was excited for and that we could include all ages (Marissa is still too young for the more high adventures). Reggae Hill and River Tubing excursion included tubing down the river followed by music and dancing entertainment with lunch on a beautiful green grass hill.
The bus/van ride was longer than anticipated, but we had a really great tour guide Tameisha who taught us about the local culture on the way. Tubing was fun--there were a few rapids that made the kids a little nervous but they had so much fun. We laughed at the homemade looking rafts but decided we had to trust them. One of the guides had to go without a raft after giving his up to Jeff, who's original raft failed about a quarter of the way in. We held on to each other's legs and arms to stick together as much as possible. My water shoes might look dorky, but I'm glad to have them for today. We floated to Reggae Hill, passed our tubes to the guides and climbed the embankment for lunch on the lawn. It was pretty hot in the sun, so we moved a few chairs to the shade and mostly played on the tire swing under the tree canopy. Tameisha looked out for us to make sure the kids had something to eat, even served them by the river's edge.
We bought a few souvenirs on our way back to the ship... ughh, they sold us broken stuff. We got back late for quick showers, buffet dinner, and the Headliner show--Savannah Jack country band--a great fiddle player, and the singer had a great voice. We sent kids to put themselves to bed and we went out, well actually we had them get ready (brush teeth and lay down) before we left then left Addisyn in charge of the timer on Chris' phone for TV off and lights out.
DAY 9--Thur. July 12--Cruise day 5, at sea
Today was play day on the ship. We made sure to get on the FlowRider early before the lines got long. Jeff and family had done it but we hadn't gotten up there yet. The FlowRider is an endless wave flow and you ride the flowing water on a boogie board. If you're not careful when you fall off, the water shoves you up the back and you pray you tightened your bathing suit on tight enough! Chris, Karen, Addisyn, and Piper all tried it. Marissa got to play mini golf and put the ball up the frog's tongue and out its body.
I had the kids play catch up on their journals before going out to the pool today. We pretty much had soft-serve ice cream for lunch at the pool today, the highlight of Marissa's day!
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| Marissa Journal, at sea day |
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| Piper Journal at sea day |
Today was another formal dinner, and we recreated our cruise picture with the Catlins--we barely fit in front of the backdrop.
DAY 10--Fri. July 13--Cruise day 6, Cozumel, Mexico
Today's shore excursion "Fury Catamaran Snorkel and Beach Break" was selected as one of the few decent snorkeling experiences 5 year olds could do.
We wore fashionable yellow inflatable vests. Marissa kept trying to hang on mommy or daddy and kept kept getting salt water in her mouth. And even though we checked it dry on the boat, Marissa's mask did not fit well and the very salty water was rough on her eyes. Addisyn and Piper went with Chris and got up close with the fish.
The staff on the catamaran were fun, encouraging a party atmosphere with drinks and dancing on deck. And they taught us how to make Princess Leia hair out of a towel!
Stop two was an inflatable playground floating in the water at the beach with slides, trampolines, and balance mats. There were also kayaks and mats for relaxing. The salt water was tough on our eyes getting splashed so I didn't do too many slides; I stuck by Marissa, helping her navigate the obstacles and the big kids. Chris had fun on the big slide with the big girls. I swam along side Piper and Marissa in a kayak, learning to oar together.
Before returning to the ship, we walked the shops in port at Cozumel, where the kids bought souvenirs with their own money. We had lunch at Margaritaville. It was so fun dancing and posing for pictures, with a great view close to our ship.
The after dinner show we were looking forward to on the ship had mechanical/technical difficulties with the flying cables so it got cancelled 5 min into it. We were winding down from a day of sun, so we went to "Dazzles" dance club to perk up. The kids danced (and did back bends) for a bit, then just got plain goofy and started falling asleep, so we all headed to bed.
DAY 11--Sat. July 14--Cruise day 7 at sea
For our third at-sea day, the crew had set up a Boardwalk party and opened up all the adventure activities on board.
First off before the kids roused, Chris and I hit the gym for the 3rd time this trip--I was in my happy place! Then after breakfast, Piper and mom climbed the rock wall--we both rang the bell--whew, great arm pump! (Marissa bummed to miss the age cutoff by just 1 year, so we made sure she had plenty of fun later.) The Boardwalk party had a giant cake, candy apples and other yummy treats, and several kid and family activities/games. While in line for arm paintings, Chris ran back to the room for cash (didn't need to carry cash for anything else on the ship) so Marissa could play "Zoltan the Fortune Teller"--she had been begging to do it for days and finally got to. We held the kids' balloon animals while they did the merry-go-round. Marissa did it over and over, riding a different animal each time.
We finally took a break for lunch. Marissa so eager for afternoon kids activities that she only ate 3/4 of a breadstick and a cup of water for lunch. I had a Cuban sandwich in honor of seeing the coast of Havana, Cuba this morning.
The kids did great packing their suitcases this afternoon getting ready to set them out tonight for disembarkation. I had to go buy more sunscreen--we went through a lot of sunscreen this trip! And mean mommy made the kids finish journaling before going back out. I heard more "Why do we have to?" and "I don't know what to write" over and over.
Chris and Addisyn got to do the on-board zip line (Piper was bummed to miss the weight cutoff by just 5 lbs). And Addisyn got all the way to the top bell on the rock wall!
Addisyn, Piper, and Bryce went to Voyagers (age 9-11) kids club and had the best time of any of their visits for 2 hours. Marissa went to kids club this afternoon, and back a gain tonight so the adults could have a nice dinner. I think the big kids hung out in a cabin together.
Chris & Karen and Heather & Jeff went to a "specialty" restaurant (free courtesy to AAA for the comp-ed vouchers after screwing something else up in the vacation reservations). "Chops" was way better food than the general dining hall. [Note to self that must be the new business plan for RCCL... to charge extra for a specialty dining experience. It would be worth it to do a couple times if traveling without kids because it really was that much better.]
Our last night here, so Marissa has to wait for a glass elevator overlooking the atrium (rather than take one on the outside). Marissa had such a good time tonight, she is literally prancing down the hall of the 12th deck to our cabin, and we are happily following (chasing) her!
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