One of the perks of being the oldest kid in my family has been the opportunity for Tony and I to enjoy the three college graduation trips that my parents have taken their kids on. Puerto Vallarta with Dustin, Kimberly, Tyler and Chelsea; Cancun with Cam and Jill; and a Caribbean cruise with Jeff and Stacey. The very best part of the trips have been the opportunity to get to know my brothers and their wives better and create great memories with my parents.
As far as cruising goes, there were several things we really enjoyed. The food was that good. It was heaven to be served three gourmet meals a day where our culinary wish was our waiter's command. The waiter, in our case, was Warren from Jamaica and he learned quickly to bring the double chocolate brownie with fudge sauce without even being asked. Our other favorites were the chilled fruit soups, the amazing fish entrees and perfectly spiced Indian dishes. Lunches were our favorite because of the elite salad bar and although we didn't indulge, we were impressed by the artistry of the midnight buffet.
Thankfully, neither Tony or I experienced sea sickness. In fact, the rocking ship and upscale linens offered the best sleep we have had in years. On our last night , we encountered rough waters and we spent over an hour watching the waves crash up 10 feet to our window. The wind on deck was could have blown us over and the sounds of the sea were haunting.
In addition to the entertainment of the sea out our window, every night after dinner there was a show in the Orpheum theatre. We had dancers, musicians, magicians and our favorite, a comedy impersonator. Usually after the show we would head to the hot tubs where we met the most interesting people. This was my second favorite part of cruising--opportunities to meet people and hear their fascinating stories. We met New Yorkers with deliciously thick accents who cruise three or four times a year as well as darling honeymooners from the farthest reaches of Alaska. There was no shortage of people watching either, to my utter delight.
The parts of the cruise that we found challenging were the sheer number of people (four times the size of St John) and lack of privacy on the boat. It was also nearly impossible to burn the anywhere near the number of calories we consumed despite multiple trips to the fitness deck, rock climbing and bungee jumping.
Even though the time in ports was very short and always shadowed by the deadline of being back to the ship on time, we had some great fun. In Key West we rented a little electric car and spent a lovely afternoon touring a botanical garden, snorkeling at the beach and lunching at a cuban cafe. The Key Lime pie did taste better with a view of the ocean.
In Belize we split up. The guys went snorkeling on the world's second largest coral reef and the girls hiked through the jungle to float through fresh water of beautiful cool caves. Tony and I had just enough time when we got back to escape the oppressive walls of the tourist shops and bars to get beans, rice, pigs feet, fish balls and sweet potato pie. Tony got to hear his beloved garifuna drums for just a minute before we caught the tenderboat back to the ship. Poor Jeff and Stacy got to ride the last tenderboat back with a violently vomiting, beligerent, swearing family who thought family bonding time included trying to drink themselves to death.
Despite all our fun, by the end of the week, we were weary of the floating city of indulgence: alcohol, food, clothes, jewelry, gambling, shopping. We'd seen enough flesh (cellulite) to last a lifetime and were tired of trying to meaningfully fill our time.
Spending the day in Miami after getting off the boat was refreshing. We saw the famous Art Deco Miami Beach architecture, visited the alligators in the Everglades and did a little shopping in Calle Ocho and Bayside. It was endearing to see where Jeff had spent his two years as a missionary.
I loved having Tony all to myself, being with my family and visiting new places and we don't regret a penny spent, but we were so happy to be home. We missed the kids and were a little worried about how the house remodel was going while we were gone. I think it may be awhile before we are ready to venture out on the love boat again.
