Cruise 2014
Here are all the deets from my cruise. Warning, it's long. And has some pictures within. And there are many more pictures and videos where these came from.
Day 1, 4/27/14
The beginning date of our cruise. We boarded the Royal Caribbean ship called Freedom of the Seas. It was huge and magnificent from the outside, and even more so inside. Upon boarding, we had lunch at the Jade Café. I had a little bit of everything - a hamburger, mashed potatoes, one BQ chicken wing, and a little penne pasta. Yeah, what a weird combination.
Then we explored the ship a little bit. Places we noted were the pool area. When we finished standing on the deck as the ship drifted away from the port, we saw King Julien and Gloria from the Madagascar films dancing. And then Shrek and Princess Fiona came out to dance.
My dad was kind enough to cover the expense of the unlimited beverage deal for me. I got a free souvenir cup, and I was able to get unlimited refills at any of the fountain drink machines throughout the ship. Sounds like a sweet deal to me.
Our stateroom had a balcony, so we could step out and look out into the ocean anytime. There were a few other ships cruising alongside us, so it's not like we were alone. It was kind of reassuring.
And we're on board for seven days. There's so much to do, and I don't even know where to begin.
We had dinner at the Windjammer Café, which is at the very back of the ship. There, we were able to watch the sun set, and it was absolutely gorgeous. And yes, I took a few photos of it.
After dinner, I explored the ship on my own. I went through the arcade room again, and there were many games to play. Classics like Pacman, Donkey Kong, Galaga, etc. And then there were various racing and shooting games like Fast and the Furious, Sonic Racing, Mariokart. And then House of the Dead 4, Time Crisis, Pirates in the Sky, etc. And then it had some silly spinning wheel games, light-up games and stuff. And then it had Skee Ball and Air Hockey.
I checked out the pool area again, but most of them were down for maintenance. Then I went down into the Royal Promenade, which is basically the mall area with various bars and shops. There, I managed to drop the souvenir cup and break the lid. I didn't know if it was possible to replace the cup, or buy a new one. I also ran into Gloria again, and she was doing little dances and stuff.
Day 2, 4/28/14
We spent the entire day at sea, so the ship was ours to do as we pleased. For all the activities going on, we sure had a hard time deciding what to do. I wanted to use the pool, but I couldn't decide when to do it, whether to do it before or after lunch, or between lunchtime and the ice skating show. Ultimately, I decided on the pool after the show.
We had lunch at the Windjammer Café again. I had pork chops, white rice with teriyaki sauce, and some beef stir fry. At the café entrance, there was a chef making food art. He carved fruits into animals, like chimps, birds, a mouse, a bunny, and even a woman's head. Yes, I took pictures of those as well, and a few videos of him creating the art.
Afterwards, I watched the Men's Belly Flop contest at the pool. Then I chilled out at the stateroom for a while before the ice show. The view from the balcony still hasn't ceased to amaze us, and we took more photos and videos from it. Even though there was nothing to see but the sea.
And then I ended up not going to the pool. The ice show was pretty amazing. They were well coordinated, switching from one theme to another in a matter of seconds. They went from a guy with angel wings, to a bunch of flower children, some Japanese theme, and then one guy who was dressed like Blade, doing tricks in some kind of double wheel. (And the Blade theme was playing during that segment as well.)
Then Grandma and I checked out the casino. I had won $10, and then played it back (not surprisingly).
Had a little scare when we headed to the Windjammer for dinner. I realized that I had left my souvenir cup in the casino, so I rushed back down. It had already been picked up when I got back there, so the cashier advised me to ask the bartender. So I did, and the lady went into the staff area to retrieve it for me. Part of me was hoping that it would be a brand new one, but that wasn't the case. At this point, the broken lid was a sure indication that it was mine. Of all the zillion look-alike cups, at least I can tell mine apart from the rest.
At 9 p.m., we went to a Broadway show. It started with one conductor waving commands at the audience to clap with a certain rhythm...all without saying a single word. Amazingly, the audience was able to follow. When one girl kept screwing up, the guy actually pulled her from the audience and put her in a corner until his little segment was done. And then he waved at her to return to her seat. Again, no words spoken. And then began the show, paying homage to classic Broadway shows. The only one I even recognized was Phantom of the Opera. I thought I was at least a *little* more versed than that. Oh well...
Day 3, 4/29/14
Our first port of call, in Labadee, Haiti. We were able to see the mountains just before 7 a.m. We docked at about 8 a.m. Our excursion was at 11:15 a.m. We just had a coastal cruise tour, where we got on this little boat and we cruised along the shoreline. The tour guide explained a little bit about the place's history and culture. They build their houses on steep hills and fish for food and barter. Some people even stay in town during the week, and then go to their houses for the weekend. And it was a community where everyone knew each other.
After that, we got back on board and we had lunch at Windjammer. I took a break in the room before heading to the pool. I soaked in the hot tub for a bit before chilling out in the pool. It was pretty fun to watch the kids jumping into the pool, and then getting out and jumping in again. One particular kid thought it would be fun to mess with me, so he kept swimming towards me and kicking water in my face. I splashed water back at him while trying to back away, trying not to bump into anyone else in the pool. The parents finally called the kids, and they left.
I returned to the stateroom in time to get a shower and get dressed for our dinner, where we had a 5:30 p.m. reservation at the Portofino, the Italian restaurant. So we got all fancy-schmancy there. I had a bowl of minestrone soup for an appetizer...which was just two or three big noodles swimming around in a bowl of broth and tiny vegetable bits floating in it. My main course was a traditional egg pasta with a traditional prego sauce. (I really didn't know what the hell I was ordering, but I tried to study the menu and keep it as simple as possible.) Maybe fancy-schmancy Italian isn't my thing. Just spaghetti with meat sauce and cheese will do for me. Or maybe lasagna. But the overall experience was nice, which was the real reason we checked out this restaurant, rather than the "omg wow awesome" food.
Speaking of the experience, Grandma had also ordered the wine special. So we each had a glass of champagne, and they served us a whole bottle off white wine. I had told myself that I would never, ever touch alcohol, but I figured I would try a glass just for the experience. I took a sip from both the champagne and the wine, and my brain just noped right out of both of them. They both tasted bitter, and I didn't like that burning sensation as I swallowed. I wonder how people could stand it, but then again, they're probably so accustomed to it that they don't even notice. But at least now I can truly say that I've tried alcoholic beverages, and now I know I'm not missing anything.
There was a retro rewind dance party at a bar called The Crypt, which was a dark bar with a more medieval setting. Now I understood why it was so empty on my previous visits; it only opens at night. But I had a few hours to kill before that party, so we checked out a Headliner show at the Arcadia Theater. There was a magician named Drew Thomas, and I have to say that he was the most skilled illusionist I've ever seen. I have seen a few shows on TV, where the magicians reveal the secrets behind their illusions, and they'd make you slap your forehead due to how simple it was. But when you see Drew Thomas's ricks, you definitely wonder, "How the hell did he do that?" For example, in one particular act, he dressed up as a "Magic Man" superhero. The Royal Caribbean Dancers posed as "villains". During the choreographed dance/battle, there was a movie screen with a building. Thomas was able to walk through the door on the screen while the dancers pounded on it. At the end, Drew Thomas rounded them all up in a cage and raised them above the stage. As the dancers were screaming and panicking, the bottom of the cage opened up, and they all fell out...and disappeared. They never fell back onto the stage. We were like, "Whoa... O.O". We could only ponder how they did that. Maybe the bottom of the stage was open, and they fell farther down? We just don't know. It all happened so fast.
Finally, it was time for the Crypt party. I didn't plan to stay very long. It was slow to start at first. The music was playing, but people were just sitting around. However, when the DJ played "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees, that's when the people came out to dance. And the party continued on from there. I left after about a half-hour there. I went to the Sorrento's place for a slice of pizza and went back to the room for bed.
And also? After the Haiti excursion and my time at the pool, I got sunburned. Even though I put sunscreen on my shoulders and chest. I think it happened during the boat ride. My left shoulder hurts more than anything.
Day 4, 4/30/14
Today was our excursion in Falmouth, Jamaica. Except with this heat and my brand new sunburn, I decided I was too miserable to take the excursion. It even hurt to wear clothes. And the clothes we packed were...not exactly cool. So yeah...I couldn't take the sun any longer. I felt bad because Dad had covered the expense of these excursions. So for any future cruises, no more excursions! Unless, of course, they involve interacting with dolphins. There actually was a dolphin excursion in Jamaica, but it was a whopping $25. So maybe next time...or somewhere I'll be able to touch a dolphin.
Well, in spite of the "no excursion" thing, it turned out to be a fun-packed day...or evening, at least. I simply had lunch and then checked out a Cartoon Trivia thing at the Schooner Bar. I was a bit late, though, so I didn't get a scorecard. I knew most of the themes, though, so I probably would have won if only I'd arrived on time for it. Then I came back to the room to chillax. Grandma came back, and then we napped for a short while. Afterwards, we had dinner, and decided to check out another Headliner show at the Arcadia Theater. We really didn't know what kind of show to expect. I thought it would be another Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers show, or another Drew Thomas show, but what we saw was something else entirely.
This show featured a singing group called the Unexpected Boys, and they were singing Frankie Valli songs. They put on an awesome performance, a humorous story about getting that perfect girl, and flirting with random ladies in the audience. How sweet, yes?
In one particular segment, one of the boys did a solo, and he said he was going to dedicate his song to a "very special lady". He began his song, and began to walk into the audience to approach. He drew even closer to us until he reached the aforementioned lady. And guess who that "special lady" was.
It was Grandma. O.O
He took her hand, sat on her lap, held her tightly as he sang, and Grandma just went right along with him. Even when he began to unbutton his shirt, Grandma started unbuttoning it herself. Meanwhile, I just sat in my sat next to her, just...pretending I wasn't even here. If that guy had come to me doing all those things, my eyes would have probably rolled out of my skull.
So yeah...Grandma got her minute of fame. She said I should have taken a picture of it...but I was too busy picking up my bottom jaw from the floor.
At least after the performance, I went to meet the boys and take a picture with them.
And then we had dinner at the Windjammer. After that, we were done for the day. So in spite of a slow day, we had a fun-filled evening.
Day 5, 5/1/14
We had cancelled our glass bottom boat excursion for Grand Cayman because it was too long and too early. So we just explored the shore at our leisure. We couldn't actually dock at the shore, so we had to take a little tender boat to get there. It was a pretty easy ride to the shore, but the boat did rock and roll a lot as we waited to get off.
As for the town itself, it was Hell. No, seriously, Hell was the name of the town. And there were lots of souvenir shops, many of the same items for various prices. I bought some 3D lenticular magnets and a keychain with my name on it. When you tilt the keychain, waves will wash over the name. There were lots of other goodies with dolphins and turtles (my favorite animals). And they had lots of things built with seashells. I would have bought a little seashell sailboat, but I was afraid it would break in the suitcase.
After a few hours, it started to get really hot, so I wanted to get back on board. We stopped at one more shop on the way back, where I bought another magnet. Yeah, I had to get one with the name "Hell, Grand Cayman" on it. Of course, there were various other things making fun of it. Like "Been to Hell and back," or an ashtray that said, "Go to Hell." Now when someone tell me, "Go to hell," I can say, "I've already been there, and the shopping was great." XD
We came back on board and had lunch at Windjammer. Grandma's key card wouldn't open the stateroom door anymore, so she had to get a new one. I stayed in the room and took a nap. I guess I was more tired than I thought. Grandma got up and went to a rapid fire art auction, and then went for a beauty appointment. I just lounged around until the next event.
Alex from Madagascar was making an appearance in the Royal Promenade, so I went to go see him. I watched him interact with some kids before interacting with him myself. I went for a hand/paw shake, and he kissed my hand. And then I had a picture taken with him.
The Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers were having a Once Upon a Time performance at the Arcadia Theater, so I went to that one. It was a bit different from what I had expected. I was expecting those familiar songs from the Disney films, like "Once Upon a Dream," from Sleeping Beauty, or "Bippity Boppity Boo" from Cinderella. Instead it had...other hits that were rather fitting for the tale they were paying tribute to. Some examples...
Cinderella: "All By Myself" by Celine Dion, "Rich Girl" by Gwen Stefani, and "Yakkity Yak."
Rapunzel: "I Need A Hero," and "I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meatloaf.
Sleeping Beauty: "Mr. Sandman"
Pinocchio: "Lies, Lies, Lies."
Little Red Riding Hood: "Hungry Like The Wolf" by Duran Duran, and "Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul.
And then for the big finale, "I'm a Believer."
I caught the 7 p.m. show because Grandma told me she would see it, too. But I didn't see her there, and then I ran into her at the Promenade. It turned out that she had missed the show because she wanted to attend that huge sale where everything was $10, and you get one item free with the purchase of five. I would have gone, but $10 adds up, and I had spent more money on Ben & Jerry's than anything. We hadn't even checked out the Chop's Grille yet. =O
Day 6, 5/2/14
Holy cheeseballs, is it Day 6 already? How time flies when you're having fun.
Our plans for today included a three-hour excursion in Cozumel, Mexico. We had an overview of the Mayan Ruins. The tour guide explained where the Mayans came from, and what the word "Maya" means. The most accepted theory is that they came from Mongolia, and they came to the Caribbean for food. He also explained how the Mayan calendar works. They had three calendars, and they only align once every 5000-something years. The last time they aligned was on December 21, 2012. Yeah, that was one of the days people were predicting the "end of the world." But it was just a big misunderstanding of how the calendar works. It wasn't the end of the world, just the end of a calendar cycle.
We shopped around a bit after the tour. They had figures of various Marvel comic characters. They even had Homer Simpson figures, and Homer dressed up as Marvel characters, like the Thing, Spiderman, Captain America, Wolverine, the Green Goblin, etc. There was even a Goku and Piccolo figure from Dragonball Z.
We got back on board and washed up for the evening. We attended the ice show in Studio B, which turned out to be the same show we had seen earlier in the week. Kind of disappointing, but it wasn't so bad to see the show again. King Julien made an appearance right before the show, so that was convenient. So I went to meet with him and have our picture taken.
After that, we had dinner at Johnny Rocket's, the 50's style diner. And there was yet more proof that the surprises never end. There were only two other ladies dining there. The jukebox played mostly the Bee Gee's "Stayin' Alive." And the surprise was that the servers started dancing to it. I would have gotten up, but I was holding a big juicy burger in my hands, trying to keep it from falling apart. The juices kept dripping onto the plate, so yeah...it was a juicy burger.
After that, we went to retire for the night. I was feeling a headache coming on. After all, it was a new month, and time for a new cycle.
Day 7, 5/3/2014
Well, this was it. The last day of our cruise, and the ship was on its way back to Port Canaveral. Of course one of the first things we had to decide was how to go about leaving the ship the following morning. We had to decide whether to leave our luggage for the staff to pick up, or to haul it off ourselves. The advantage to hauling it ourselves was that we could leave super early, and get off whenever we wanted to. I'd rather get off the ship early, but Grandma wasn't sure that she could haul her luggage.
I had breakfast at the Leonardo Dining Rom, because they were having a DreamWorks character breakfast. Which to me, meant that all of the DreamWorks characters would appear and visit with everyone. Instead, just the Madagascar characters appeared one by one and danced on one side of the room. And naturally, I was seated in the opposite side of the restaurant, so I could only see them at a distance.
Throughout the day, all the action was in the Royal Promenade. There was another huge sale, with bracelets for $10, and they had a buy 4, get one free event for the first hour. Also, King Julien made another appearance, so I got to mingle with him again. I went into the casino and blew most of my cash. Grandma said I would have to give it back to her after the cruise anyway, so I might as well spend it. And unfortunately, the casino was the only thing on the ship that would accept cash. Then I had to get away from the crowds for a while, so I went back into the room to nap.
The next major event was the DreamWorks parade in the Royal Promenade. It was short, but awesome. Al the DreamWorks characters, from Madagascar, Shrek, and Po from Kung Fu Panda came out to dance. There was so much going on at once, with all the other dancers on the floor with them. I got as much coverage as I could with my camcorder. I think I did pretty well, considering how much action was going on.
I went to dinner at the Windjammer while Grandma returned to the stateroom to begin packing. The Windjammer gets pretty dark at night, even with the dim lights on the ceiling. So I picked a random table that was small and decently lit. And guess who was sitting at the next table? Yep, it was the Unexpected Boys. That was quite...unexpected. They were dressed in casual clothing, so I assumed they were blending in with the normal crowd. So I just ate my dinner, pretending not to notice them.
I got back to the room, and Grandma had most of our stuff packed already. She had decided to leave the luggage outside and let the staff carry it out.
Departure
There was no room service this morning, so we didn't know what we were going to do about breakfast. We had to get to the Arcadia Theater by 8 a.m. to get called to depart the ship. We were dressed early enough to grab a quick breakfast from Windjammer before going there, though. I had many thoughts in my mind...well, mostly wondering how long it would take for us to get through the line, grab our luggage, and go through US Customers and Border Protection. It was said that each family only needed one form to get through the Customs, unless the guests had different surnames and different addresses...which the latter was the case for Grandma and myself.
But surprisingly, it didn't take us long at all. We got our luggage, and a man was nice enough to wheel it all to the car for us, and we just followed him out. Going through Customs was a breeze as well, and they didn't even ask me for the separate form. By the time we loaded our luggage into the car, it was 8:37 a.m. So now we were ready to go home.
So, ladies and gents, that was my cruise in just over 4000 words.
Day 1, 4/27/14
The beginning date of our cruise. We boarded the Royal Caribbean ship called Freedom of the Seas. It was huge and magnificent from the outside, and even more so inside. Upon boarding, we had lunch at the Jade Café. I had a little bit of everything - a hamburger, mashed potatoes, one BQ chicken wing, and a little penne pasta. Yeah, what a weird combination.
Then we explored the ship a little bit. Places we noted were the pool area. When we finished standing on the deck as the ship drifted away from the port, we saw King Julien and Gloria from the Madagascar films dancing. And then Shrek and Princess Fiona came out to dance.
My dad was kind enough to cover the expense of the unlimited beverage deal for me. I got a free souvenir cup, and I was able to get unlimited refills at any of the fountain drink machines throughout the ship. Sounds like a sweet deal to me.
Our stateroom had a balcony, so we could step out and look out into the ocean anytime. There were a few other ships cruising alongside us, so it's not like we were alone. It was kind of reassuring.
And we're on board for seven days. There's so much to do, and I don't even know where to begin.
We had dinner at the Windjammer Café, which is at the very back of the ship. There, we were able to watch the sun set, and it was absolutely gorgeous. And yes, I took a few photos of it.
After dinner, I explored the ship on my own. I went through the arcade room again, and there were many games to play. Classics like Pacman, Donkey Kong, Galaga, etc. And then there were various racing and shooting games like Fast and the Furious, Sonic Racing, Mariokart. And then House of the Dead 4, Time Crisis, Pirates in the Sky, etc. And then it had some silly spinning wheel games, light-up games and stuff. And then it had Skee Ball and Air Hockey.
I checked out the pool area again, but most of them were down for maintenance. Then I went down into the Royal Promenade, which is basically the mall area with various bars and shops. There, I managed to drop the souvenir cup and break the lid. I didn't know if it was possible to replace the cup, or buy a new one. I also ran into Gloria again, and she was doing little dances and stuff.
Day 2, 4/28/14
We spent the entire day at sea, so the ship was ours to do as we pleased. For all the activities going on, we sure had a hard time deciding what to do. I wanted to use the pool, but I couldn't decide when to do it, whether to do it before or after lunch, or between lunchtime and the ice skating show. Ultimately, I decided on the pool after the show.
We had lunch at the Windjammer Café again. I had pork chops, white rice with teriyaki sauce, and some beef stir fry. At the café entrance, there was a chef making food art. He carved fruits into animals, like chimps, birds, a mouse, a bunny, and even a woman's head. Yes, I took pictures of those as well, and a few videos of him creating the art.
Afterwards, I watched the Men's Belly Flop contest at the pool. Then I chilled out at the stateroom for a while before the ice show. The view from the balcony still hasn't ceased to amaze us, and we took more photos and videos from it. Even though there was nothing to see but the sea.
And then I ended up not going to the pool. The ice show was pretty amazing. They were well coordinated, switching from one theme to another in a matter of seconds. They went from a guy with angel wings, to a bunch of flower children, some Japanese theme, and then one guy who was dressed like Blade, doing tricks in some kind of double wheel. (And the Blade theme was playing during that segment as well.)
Then Grandma and I checked out the casino. I had won $10, and then played it back (not surprisingly).
Had a little scare when we headed to the Windjammer for dinner. I realized that I had left my souvenir cup in the casino, so I rushed back down. It had already been picked up when I got back there, so the cashier advised me to ask the bartender. So I did, and the lady went into the staff area to retrieve it for me. Part of me was hoping that it would be a brand new one, but that wasn't the case. At this point, the broken lid was a sure indication that it was mine. Of all the zillion look-alike cups, at least I can tell mine apart from the rest.
At 9 p.m., we went to a Broadway show. It started with one conductor waving commands at the audience to clap with a certain rhythm...all without saying a single word. Amazingly, the audience was able to follow. When one girl kept screwing up, the guy actually pulled her from the audience and put her in a corner until his little segment was done. And then he waved at her to return to her seat. Again, no words spoken. And then began the show, paying homage to classic Broadway shows. The only one I even recognized was Phantom of the Opera. I thought I was at least a *little* more versed than that. Oh well...
Day 3, 4/29/14
Our first port of call, in Labadee, Haiti. We were able to see the mountains just before 7 a.m. We docked at about 8 a.m. Our excursion was at 11:15 a.m. We just had a coastal cruise tour, where we got on this little boat and we cruised along the shoreline. The tour guide explained a little bit about the place's history and culture. They build their houses on steep hills and fish for food and barter. Some people even stay in town during the week, and then go to their houses for the weekend. And it was a community where everyone knew each other.
After that, we got back on board and we had lunch at Windjammer. I took a break in the room before heading to the pool. I soaked in the hot tub for a bit before chilling out in the pool. It was pretty fun to watch the kids jumping into the pool, and then getting out and jumping in again. One particular kid thought it would be fun to mess with me, so he kept swimming towards me and kicking water in my face. I splashed water back at him while trying to back away, trying not to bump into anyone else in the pool. The parents finally called the kids, and they left.
I returned to the stateroom in time to get a shower and get dressed for our dinner, where we had a 5:30 p.m. reservation at the Portofino, the Italian restaurant. So we got all fancy-schmancy there. I had a bowl of minestrone soup for an appetizer...which was just two or three big noodles swimming around in a bowl of broth and tiny vegetable bits floating in it. My main course was a traditional egg pasta with a traditional prego sauce. (I really didn't know what the hell I was ordering, but I tried to study the menu and keep it as simple as possible.) Maybe fancy-schmancy Italian isn't my thing. Just spaghetti with meat sauce and cheese will do for me. Or maybe lasagna. But the overall experience was nice, which was the real reason we checked out this restaurant, rather than the "omg wow awesome" food.
Speaking of the experience, Grandma had also ordered the wine special. So we each had a glass of champagne, and they served us a whole bottle off white wine. I had told myself that I would never, ever touch alcohol, but I figured I would try a glass just for the experience. I took a sip from both the champagne and the wine, and my brain just noped right out of both of them. They both tasted bitter, and I didn't like that burning sensation as I swallowed. I wonder how people could stand it, but then again, they're probably so accustomed to it that they don't even notice. But at least now I can truly say that I've tried alcoholic beverages, and now I know I'm not missing anything.
There was a retro rewind dance party at a bar called The Crypt, which was a dark bar with a more medieval setting. Now I understood why it was so empty on my previous visits; it only opens at night. But I had a few hours to kill before that party, so we checked out a Headliner show at the Arcadia Theater. There was a magician named Drew Thomas, and I have to say that he was the most skilled illusionist I've ever seen. I have seen a few shows on TV, where the magicians reveal the secrets behind their illusions, and they'd make you slap your forehead due to how simple it was. But when you see Drew Thomas's ricks, you definitely wonder, "How the hell did he do that?" For example, in one particular act, he dressed up as a "Magic Man" superhero. The Royal Caribbean Dancers posed as "villains". During the choreographed dance/battle, there was a movie screen with a building. Thomas was able to walk through the door on the screen while the dancers pounded on it. At the end, Drew Thomas rounded them all up in a cage and raised them above the stage. As the dancers were screaming and panicking, the bottom of the cage opened up, and they all fell out...and disappeared. They never fell back onto the stage. We were like, "Whoa... O.O". We could only ponder how they did that. Maybe the bottom of the stage was open, and they fell farther down? We just don't know. It all happened so fast.
Finally, it was time for the Crypt party. I didn't plan to stay very long. It was slow to start at first. The music was playing, but people were just sitting around. However, when the DJ played "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees, that's when the people came out to dance. And the party continued on from there. I left after about a half-hour there. I went to the Sorrento's place for a slice of pizza and went back to the room for bed.
And also? After the Haiti excursion and my time at the pool, I got sunburned. Even though I put sunscreen on my shoulders and chest. I think it happened during the boat ride. My left shoulder hurts more than anything.
Day 4, 4/30/14
Today was our excursion in Falmouth, Jamaica. Except with this heat and my brand new sunburn, I decided I was too miserable to take the excursion. It even hurt to wear clothes. And the clothes we packed were...not exactly cool. So yeah...I couldn't take the sun any longer. I felt bad because Dad had covered the expense of these excursions. So for any future cruises, no more excursions! Unless, of course, they involve interacting with dolphins. There actually was a dolphin excursion in Jamaica, but it was a whopping $25. So maybe next time...or somewhere I'll be able to touch a dolphin.
Well, in spite of the "no excursion" thing, it turned out to be a fun-packed day...or evening, at least. I simply had lunch and then checked out a Cartoon Trivia thing at the Schooner Bar. I was a bit late, though, so I didn't get a scorecard. I knew most of the themes, though, so I probably would have won if only I'd arrived on time for it. Then I came back to the room to chillax. Grandma came back, and then we napped for a short while. Afterwards, we had dinner, and decided to check out another Headliner show at the Arcadia Theater. We really didn't know what kind of show to expect. I thought it would be another Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers show, or another Drew Thomas show, but what we saw was something else entirely.
This show featured a singing group called the Unexpected Boys, and they were singing Frankie Valli songs. They put on an awesome performance, a humorous story about getting that perfect girl, and flirting with random ladies in the audience. How sweet, yes?
In one particular segment, one of the boys did a solo, and he said he was going to dedicate his song to a "very special lady". He began his song, and began to walk into the audience to approach. He drew even closer to us until he reached the aforementioned lady. And guess who that "special lady" was.
It was Grandma. O.O
He took her hand, sat on her lap, held her tightly as he sang, and Grandma just went right along with him. Even when he began to unbutton his shirt, Grandma started unbuttoning it herself. Meanwhile, I just sat in my sat next to her, just...pretending I wasn't even here. If that guy had come to me doing all those things, my eyes would have probably rolled out of my skull.
So yeah...Grandma got her minute of fame. She said I should have taken a picture of it...but I was too busy picking up my bottom jaw from the floor.
At least after the performance, I went to meet the boys and take a picture with them.
And then we had dinner at the Windjammer. After that, we were done for the day. So in spite of a slow day, we had a fun-filled evening.
Day 5, 5/1/14
We had cancelled our glass bottom boat excursion for Grand Cayman because it was too long and too early. So we just explored the shore at our leisure. We couldn't actually dock at the shore, so we had to take a little tender boat to get there. It was a pretty easy ride to the shore, but the boat did rock and roll a lot as we waited to get off.
As for the town itself, it was Hell. No, seriously, Hell was the name of the town. And there were lots of souvenir shops, many of the same items for various prices. I bought some 3D lenticular magnets and a keychain with my name on it. When you tilt the keychain, waves will wash over the name. There were lots of other goodies with dolphins and turtles (my favorite animals). And they had lots of things built with seashells. I would have bought a little seashell sailboat, but I was afraid it would break in the suitcase.
After a few hours, it started to get really hot, so I wanted to get back on board. We stopped at one more shop on the way back, where I bought another magnet. Yeah, I had to get one with the name "Hell, Grand Cayman" on it. Of course, there were various other things making fun of it. Like "Been to Hell and back," or an ashtray that said, "Go to Hell." Now when someone tell me, "Go to hell," I can say, "I've already been there, and the shopping was great." XD
We came back on board and had lunch at Windjammer. Grandma's key card wouldn't open the stateroom door anymore, so she had to get a new one. I stayed in the room and took a nap. I guess I was more tired than I thought. Grandma got up and went to a rapid fire art auction, and then went for a beauty appointment. I just lounged around until the next event.
Alex from Madagascar was making an appearance in the Royal Promenade, so I went to go see him. I watched him interact with some kids before interacting with him myself. I went for a hand/paw shake, and he kissed my hand. And then I had a picture taken with him.
The Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers were having a Once Upon a Time performance at the Arcadia Theater, so I went to that one. It was a bit different from what I had expected. I was expecting those familiar songs from the Disney films, like "Once Upon a Dream," from Sleeping Beauty, or "Bippity Boppity Boo" from Cinderella. Instead it had...other hits that were rather fitting for the tale they were paying tribute to. Some examples...
Cinderella: "All By Myself" by Celine Dion, "Rich Girl" by Gwen Stefani, and "Yakkity Yak."
Rapunzel: "I Need A Hero," and "I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meatloaf.
Sleeping Beauty: "Mr. Sandman"
Pinocchio: "Lies, Lies, Lies."
Little Red Riding Hood: "Hungry Like The Wolf" by Duran Duran, and "Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul.
And then for the big finale, "I'm a Believer."
I caught the 7 p.m. show because Grandma told me she would see it, too. But I didn't see her there, and then I ran into her at the Promenade. It turned out that she had missed the show because she wanted to attend that huge sale where everything was $10, and you get one item free with the purchase of five. I would have gone, but $10 adds up, and I had spent more money on Ben & Jerry's than anything. We hadn't even checked out the Chop's Grille yet. =O
Day 6, 5/2/14
Holy cheeseballs, is it Day 6 already? How time flies when you're having fun.
Our plans for today included a three-hour excursion in Cozumel, Mexico. We had an overview of the Mayan Ruins. The tour guide explained where the Mayans came from, and what the word "Maya" means. The most accepted theory is that they came from Mongolia, and they came to the Caribbean for food. He also explained how the Mayan calendar works. They had three calendars, and they only align once every 5000-something years. The last time they aligned was on December 21, 2012. Yeah, that was one of the days people were predicting the "end of the world." But it was just a big misunderstanding of how the calendar works. It wasn't the end of the world, just the end of a calendar cycle.
We shopped around a bit after the tour. They had figures of various Marvel comic characters. They even had Homer Simpson figures, and Homer dressed up as Marvel characters, like the Thing, Spiderman, Captain America, Wolverine, the Green Goblin, etc. There was even a Goku and Piccolo figure from Dragonball Z.
We got back on board and washed up for the evening. We attended the ice show in Studio B, which turned out to be the same show we had seen earlier in the week. Kind of disappointing, but it wasn't so bad to see the show again. King Julien made an appearance right before the show, so that was convenient. So I went to meet with him and have our picture taken.
After that, we had dinner at Johnny Rocket's, the 50's style diner. And there was yet more proof that the surprises never end. There were only two other ladies dining there. The jukebox played mostly the Bee Gee's "Stayin' Alive." And the surprise was that the servers started dancing to it. I would have gotten up, but I was holding a big juicy burger in my hands, trying to keep it from falling apart. The juices kept dripping onto the plate, so yeah...it was a juicy burger.
After that, we went to retire for the night. I was feeling a headache coming on. After all, it was a new month, and time for a new cycle.
Day 7, 5/3/2014
Well, this was it. The last day of our cruise, and the ship was on its way back to Port Canaveral. Of course one of the first things we had to decide was how to go about leaving the ship the following morning. We had to decide whether to leave our luggage for the staff to pick up, or to haul it off ourselves. The advantage to hauling it ourselves was that we could leave super early, and get off whenever we wanted to. I'd rather get off the ship early, but Grandma wasn't sure that she could haul her luggage.
I had breakfast at the Leonardo Dining Rom, because they were having a DreamWorks character breakfast. Which to me, meant that all of the DreamWorks characters would appear and visit with everyone. Instead, just the Madagascar characters appeared one by one and danced on one side of the room. And naturally, I was seated in the opposite side of the restaurant, so I could only see them at a distance.
Throughout the day, all the action was in the Royal Promenade. There was another huge sale, with bracelets for $10, and they had a buy 4, get one free event for the first hour. Also, King Julien made another appearance, so I got to mingle with him again. I went into the casino and blew most of my cash. Grandma said I would have to give it back to her after the cruise anyway, so I might as well spend it. And unfortunately, the casino was the only thing on the ship that would accept cash. Then I had to get away from the crowds for a while, so I went back into the room to nap.
The next major event was the DreamWorks parade in the Royal Promenade. It was short, but awesome. Al the DreamWorks characters, from Madagascar, Shrek, and Po from Kung Fu Panda came out to dance. There was so much going on at once, with all the other dancers on the floor with them. I got as much coverage as I could with my camcorder. I think I did pretty well, considering how much action was going on.
I went to dinner at the Windjammer while Grandma returned to the stateroom to begin packing. The Windjammer gets pretty dark at night, even with the dim lights on the ceiling. So I picked a random table that was small and decently lit. And guess who was sitting at the next table? Yep, it was the Unexpected Boys. That was quite...unexpected. They were dressed in casual clothing, so I assumed they were blending in with the normal crowd. So I just ate my dinner, pretending not to notice them.
I got back to the room, and Grandma had most of our stuff packed already. She had decided to leave the luggage outside and let the staff carry it out.
Departure
There was no room service this morning, so we didn't know what we were going to do about breakfast. We had to get to the Arcadia Theater by 8 a.m. to get called to depart the ship. We were dressed early enough to grab a quick breakfast from Windjammer before going there, though. I had many thoughts in my mind...well, mostly wondering how long it would take for us to get through the line, grab our luggage, and go through US Customers and Border Protection. It was said that each family only needed one form to get through the Customs, unless the guests had different surnames and different addresses...which the latter was the case for Grandma and myself.
But surprisingly, it didn't take us long at all. We got our luggage, and a man was nice enough to wheel it all to the car for us, and we just followed him out. Going through Customs was a breeze as well, and they didn't even ask me for the separate form. By the time we loaded our luggage into the car, it was 8:37 a.m. So now we were ready to go home.
So, ladies and gents, that was my cruise in just over 4000 words.