Cruise: Accomplished

We cruised, we ate. We bingo-ed, we ate. We sun bathed, we ate. We relaxed, we ate. We danced, we ate. We karaoked, we ate. We swam, we ate. We toured, we ate. We celebrated, we ate. Meet new friends, we ate. Played cards, we ate. Stayed up late, we ate. Got up late, we ate.

Overall, this trip get a 2 thumbs up and 2 full bellies!

Key West

Our last stop was Key West, Florida. We were kinda bummed to find out that morning that our excursion to go catamaran snorkeling was canceled due to high winds but we sure found lots to do on our own.

First stop was the Official Caribbean Pirate Museum. I wasn't to thrilled about going to it but Jason insisted on it because we had a coupon! I am so glad he insisted we go. It was a blast. Everything in the museum has been traced to pirates from long ago and you could even read all about them and listen to some of their stories. It was interesting and the kids would have loved it. Sorry folks, no photography allowed inside the building. It is a must do if you are ever in the area. Arrrrrrr matey!


Oh thank goodness! Now we know exactly where we are.

...and then we swam to Cuba.
Actually, we snorkeled. Kind of. It was choppy and I kept getting tossed into rock. I gave up after about 1/2 hour and lucky I did because I would have missed the most memorable part of my trip. Okay, not the whole trip, just Key West. Let's just say it involved a o-l-d guy in a huge straw hat with leathery skin, wearing a string thong. It was a sight to behold. I'm sorry you all missed it.

Always willing to try new foods, Jason gave fried Conch a try. I stuck with coconut shrimp.

As we meandered around the marina we found a Coast Guard cutter. It's no Cutter Campbell (my brothers Cutter) but it was cool to see.

As always you gotta take a picture with the happy fisherman and his catch.

Key West is a cool little town and now we can cross it off our bucket lists!

On Board

Being at sea for a few days was so relaxing. We would sit out on our balcony with a book and kick our feet up. We attended an art auction. I'm used to the elementary school auction's where you bid with M&M's and Twizzlers...not with real money. Seriously, there were pictures going for $15,000-$20,000! Crrrrazy! Granted, they were Rembrandt's and Picasso's but still...cha-ching!

Thankfully Jason kept his little number (168) tucked firmly away. The man loves an auction and I could have walked away with a new painting very easily. Thank you Jason for not bidding!

I was hoping to win some free piece of art but no dice.

We ate lots and lots. I figure that the reason they ask you to dress up for dinner so that you will limit your intake so you don't look like a pig. Too bad for them I just wore roomy dresses so I could eat more. Take that fine dining!

Each night we were able to eat with a group of friends from Jason's company. It was nice to visit with new friends and old friends. Each night a different group of people and we loved each evening.

Unfortunately the most exciting event we had on the boat I have no pictures of. The one time I was without my camera and we played a hot game of bingo. That's right, BINGO. Blue haired ladies and all. Even working 4 cards between the two of us we came up empty. Oh well. It was fun.

More fun pictures to come!

Grand Turk

What a neat place. We were only there for about 6 hours but I think we got a pretty good feel for the island. It is very small, only 7 miles by 2 1/2 miles, so we decided to see it all. This is what you see when you are dropped off by your ship. Its very commercial. T-shirts, jewelry, trinkets everywhere. The locals call this area "the movie set" because, first, its meant to attract shopping and lots of money spending and second, it looking absolutely nothing like the rest of the island.
After wandering around the shopping and seeing nothing authentic or culturally specific we grabbed our friends Ryan and Kendra, rented a car and headed out. They drive on the wrong side of the car and the road there. It was fun to watch Jason try and keep things straight. You would think with four adults in the car we would remember to stay on the right side of the road. Nope. More than once all of the sudden someone said "Oh shoot! Get in the other lane!" Oppsie!
Educational fact #1 for the day: Grand Turk is named after the giant cactus' on the island. They are big and very beautiful and nothing I would ever want to mess with.

Hello Mr. Pirate. How you doooing?

Educational fact #2 for today: After John Glenn landed on the moon and returned to Earth this is what he landed in the ocean inside of. Can you imagine? He landed just off the coast of Grand Turk and here is the monument to prove it. What you don't see is the dilapidated fence with broken gate surrounding it and the cow poop all over the ground. The national parks committee of Grand Turk doesn't seem too concerned so we won't be either.

Jason and Ryan walking to the edge of the island. The highest point of the whole place is 100 feet.

Of course we had to stop here. Without dead people we would have never been on this trip in the first place.

Educational fact #3 for today: CemetAry is not spelled correctly. It's CemetEry.

A little historical sightseeing was in order so we went to the island lighthouse.

We drove over to what a local guy called the nicest beach on the island. It had hammocks and shelter from the sun.....

...a swimming pool to rinse off in after you swam in the ocean...

...a place for me to write the kids a quick note because there was nobody there to bother me...

...and the most beautiful, amazing, stunning beach we have ever been to. It was heaven.

I can't say enough about Governor's beach. It was simply perfect. The water was so clear, the sand was soft, and the water was minimally salty. The word pristine comes to mind. Really I could have just stayed there forever.

We met some locals. Jason raced some local boys in the pool and boy were they fascinated by his white skin. They kept touching his arms and hair. They found him very entertaining and fun to hang out with. I met some donkey, horses and lots of doggies. They are everywhere on the island and most large animals are protected (meaning you can't kill them for food) so they just wander free. It's cool.

Educational fact #4 for today: There is no fresh water on the entire island. Therefore there is not real way to grow crops. So the residents of Grand Turks rely on ships and air carriers to bring in all their food and water.

Just me. I'm trying to guess how deep the water is. The color was so cool. The blues and greens and turquoise were so soothing.

And here we are ending our day. Aren't those clouds picture perfect? The day was fun. We always love seeing somewhere new. If you ever get the chance to go to Grand Turk we say go for it!

Princess Cay

After sailing all night our first full day was spent lounging on the island of Princess Cay. It was absolutely beautiful. The sand, the cabanas and the food were all so colorful!
Look at this beach. One word: heaven. The water was perfect and the sun was hot. That's our ship sitting out there in the water. To make it to the island we had to tender in. (Tender basically means you take a dingy boat in to the island because the ship can't port there.)

Notice anything about the last few pictures? How about the total lack of people? We had this part of the beach all to ourselves. It was cool.

Feet up. Feet tanned. Feet tired. Feet happy.

The Accomodations

We have always heard about how small cruise ships suite are. Not on this cruise line baby. We had plenty of room to sleep, eat, relax and sunbathe. The room was amazing. Our entry way. The bathroom was to the right and it was huge. Full sized tub, separate shower, gorgeous sink and counter top.
Our bedroom and sitting room
Fresh flowers and cider.

Us getting ready for a fun day in the sun!

Our ship.

Small rooms? Heck no. It was a great place to return to each night and relax. Our suite was definitely sweet.

We Gotta Go, It's Work

Every year (yawn) Jason's work hauls us off on some (snore) vacation forcing us (frowny face) to relax, eat food prepared by others, and not touch a single piece of laundry (scowl). I mean where is the joy in sunbathing, swimming in bathtub warm water and having lots of adult conversation?

So this moderately sized row boat will be our home away from home for the next little bit while we wonder around the Caribbean. What am I going to do all day?

I wonder if they need a water slide tester......

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone! We are so thankful for today to remember the life and sacrifice of our Savior. We are grateful for his resurrection. I personally am so thankful for the belief I have in eternal life. With recent family experiences I can honestly say I know that our Savior did all he did to lift our hearts in time of sorrow. The sorrow of the past few months is fresh but I know that the sadness that fills me at times is not despair, just heartache. The Savior provides hope and happiness and that what today is about. Hope. Happiness. Joy.

It certainly would not be Easter without a little egg festivity. Yesterday we dyed eggs. It is fun but always always always a gigantic-o mess. Seeing the creations Jayden, Braley and Ansen come up with each year is one of the highlights of my Easter season.

Today is not only special because its Easter but also because its opening day for the RED SOX! Therefore we need a little Boston pride in egg form.....

If you weren't aware the Red Sox will be spanking the Yankees today.

The Easter bunny was pretty stingy this year. He left the kids a basket full of necessary goodies (the girls, new suits for swim lessons and the boy bat and ball for t-ball season) and $10. The $10 is to help the kids start purchasing items for their Mexico trip this fall where they will be working for 5 days in a orphanage. They are collecting money and items so they can make hygiene kits for each child. So a big shout out to the Easter bunny for leaving the chocolate behind and wanting to help the kids with their new project.

Happy Easter to you all. We love you!