American Wallzone, the company where Eric buys his vinyl siding, gave us a cruise! My family went on a cruise to the Bahamas when I was 6, but of course, I don't remember much about that. So, essentially, this was like a first cruise for all of us. Rather than a detailed list of what we did each day, I thought maybe I'd hit the highlights in a few categories.
Food
I started with food because most people have heard something about the food on a cruise. Before we left, everyone told us that there would be lots of food, and that was an understatement. Every day, we could go to the Vivaldi Dining Room for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For more casual dining, there was also the Windjammer Cafe (a buffet), or the Promenade Cafe (sandwiches, pizza and cookies primarily). Most days we ate breakfast at the Windjammer Cafe, which had windows all around for looking out onto the ocean or the islands, depending on where we were at the time. Lunch and dinner in the main dining room was quite an experience. There were several head waiters, wearing red jackets, to oversee different sections. Then, we had a waiter and assistant waiter assigned to our table. After the first or second time they saw us, they had learned our names and what we wanted to drink. We were served bread, an appetizer, main course, and dessert at each meal. At dinner, we also had a plate of cheese, crackers and nuts on the table. A few times, we ate out on the islands, and those were good experiences, too, for the most part.
Food
I started with food because most people have heard something about the food on a cruise. Before we left, everyone told us that there would be lots of food, and that was an understatement. Every day, we could go to the Vivaldi Dining Room for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For more casual dining, there was also the Windjammer Cafe (a buffet), or the Promenade Cafe (sandwiches, pizza and cookies primarily). Most days we ate breakfast at the Windjammer Cafe, which had windows all around for looking out onto the ocean or the islands, depending on where we were at the time. Lunch and dinner in the main dining room was quite an experience. There were several head waiters, wearing red jackets, to oversee different sections. Then, we had a waiter and assistant waiter assigned to our table. After the first or second time they saw us, they had learned our names and what we wanted to drink. We were served bread, an appetizer, main course, and dessert at each meal. At dinner, we also had a plate of cheese, crackers and nuts on the table. A few times, we ate out on the islands, and those were good experiences, too, for the most part.
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| Top - Main Dining Room (Vivaldi is the lower level), Bottom Left - main dish, Bottom Right - dessert! |
Our Stateroom and Stateroom Attendant
When we got to our room, we were surprised to find a plate of fruit, and a refrigerator stocked with drinks and snacks. These were replenished for us daily. We didn't know where Austin was going to sleep, so when our stateroom attendant (Cyrus) came by, we asked if we could have some sheets for the small couch, thinking that he would be sleeping there. Cyrus told us that there was a bed for Austin and he would fix it for us. When we came back from dinner, Austin's bed was all set up. It came out of a compartment in the ceiling, above our bed. Turns out there was one on each side, so the room would have accommodated one more person. Cyrus did a good job of keeping our room clean and neat, and we never ran out of towels. After the first day, he had memorized our names, and when we left the room every morning, he'd say, "Good morning Sir Eric, Mama Audrey, Austeen. Enjoy your day!" And he had a similar greeting for us in the evenings, asking us how our day had been and telling us to enjoy our dinner. After dinner, he would have an animal made from towels sitting on our bed along with our itinerary and anything else we would need for the next day.
When we got to our room, we were surprised to find a plate of fruit, and a refrigerator stocked with drinks and snacks. These were replenished for us daily. We didn't know where Austin was going to sleep, so when our stateroom attendant (Cyrus) came by, we asked if we could have some sheets for the small couch, thinking that he would be sleeping there. Cyrus told us that there was a bed for Austin and he would fix it for us. When we came back from dinner, Austin's bed was all set up. It came out of a compartment in the ceiling, above our bed. Turns out there was one on each side, so the room would have accommodated one more person. Cyrus did a good job of keeping our room clean and neat, and we never ran out of towels. After the first day, he had memorized our names, and when we left the room every morning, he'd say, "Good morning Sir Eric, Mama Audrey, Austeen. Enjoy your day!" And he had a similar greeting for us in the evenings, asking us how our day had been and telling us to enjoy our dinner. After dinner, he would have an animal made from towels sitting on our bed along with our itinerary and anything else we would need for the next day.
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| Top Left - our bed, Top Right - Austin's bed; Bottom Left - monkey made from towels, Bottom Right - Austin with Cyrus |
Entertainment
Every night there was a show in the Lyric Theatre, along with other shows and demonstrations at various locations throughout the ship. My favorite show was "Revolution - A Tribute to the Beatles." The band wore different costumes and hairstyles to represent the life of the Beatles and there were TV screens on each side of the theatre playing clips from history that went along with each time period. We also saw a tribute to Vegas show, a juggler, a comedian, and a singer, Kenny James, who was a former "Star Search" winner. I also really enjoyed his show. Another exciting show was called "Hot Art, Cool Ice," which was an ice skating show. It was really impressive. We also attended an art auction, and watched a cooking demonstration. After the cooking demonstration, they gave everyone samples of the tiramisu and black forest cake. Delicious!
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| Top Left - Lyric Theatre, Top Right - "Revolution" (a Beatles tribute band); Bottom Left - Kenny James, Bottom Right - live entertainment on the Promenade deck |
Activities on the Ship
There was no shortage of things to do on board. I personally ran out of energy and didn't even do everything. There were pools and hot tubs, basketball courts, a putt putt golf course, and a 44-foot tall rock climbing wall. We all tried the rock climbing wall, but Eric was the only one to make it to the top. Austin did better than I did! Even though I didn't get very far, it was fun. Eric treated me to a trip to the Spa on the ship, and i got a massage. It was so nice, I think I fell asleep for a few minutes! There were also shops on the ship that had everything from clothes, to jewelery, to gifts, to forgotten necessities. It was really like a floating city!
There was no shortage of things to do on board. I personally ran out of energy and didn't even do everything. There were pools and hot tubs, basketball courts, a putt putt golf course, and a 44-foot tall rock climbing wall. We all tried the rock climbing wall, but Eric was the only one to make it to the top. Austin did better than I did! Even though I didn't get very far, it was fun. Eric treated me to a trip to the Spa on the ship, and i got a massage. It was so nice, I think I fell asleep for a few minutes! There were also shops on the ship that had everything from clothes, to jewelery, to gifts, to forgotten necessities. It was really like a floating city!
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| Left - Eric at the top of the rock wall; Top Right - my feeble attempt, Bottom Right - Austin giving it a try! |
Islands
Everyone asks me which was my favorite island. I really couldn't pick one. Each one had it's own special thing or several things. All of the islands had nice weather. Even though we got rained on a few times, it never lasted long. The temperature was mostly in the 80's and very breezy! On all the islands except one, we took tours arranged by the cruise line. I enjoyed those islands more than the one where we didn't take a tour, but even that one had it's perks. For instance, I saw my first iguana. So, I will give you a few highlights from each island. Even though we were in Puerto Rico first, we went straight to the ship, and didn't explore it until we were headed back, so I will cover it last.
Willemstad, Curacao
The first thing I noticed when I looked out the window of the ship and saw Curacao was how clear and beautiful the water was! Then, I noticed a row of brightly colored shops! We did a good bit of window shopping, but didn't buy anything. After that, we got a taxi and asked the driver to take us somewhere for local food. We ended up at a family run restaurant where nobody spoke any English! Our taxi driver, David, was able to translate the basics for us. I played it safe with fish, although we don't know what kind it was, because David said he didn't know what it would be in English. It was tasty, and was accompanied by polenta, fried plantains, and a salad. Eric had goat stew, and Austin had okra soup. David decided to stay and have lunch with us, and he had fish soup. We saw something we didn't recognize in Eric's plate, and asked about it. David looked excited, and said, "Oh, you got a pig's tail!" Later we noticed that Austin got one too. I had a hard time eating if I looked at anyone's food other than mine. LOL It was quite an experience, one I'm sure we won't soon forget. Then, David drove us out to the Cave of Hato, where we saw an iguana. Later on, we saw others, but this was the one we were closest to, and were able to see the best.
Everyone asks me which was my favorite island. I really couldn't pick one. Each one had it's own special thing or several things. All of the islands had nice weather. Even though we got rained on a few times, it never lasted long. The temperature was mostly in the 80's and very breezy! On all the islands except one, we took tours arranged by the cruise line. I enjoyed those islands more than the one where we didn't take a tour, but even that one had it's perks. For instance, I saw my first iguana. So, I will give you a few highlights from each island. Even though we were in Puerto Rico first, we went straight to the ship, and didn't explore it until we were headed back, so I will cover it last.
Willemstad, Curacao
The first thing I noticed when I looked out the window of the ship and saw Curacao was how clear and beautiful the water was! Then, I noticed a row of brightly colored shops! We did a good bit of window shopping, but didn't buy anything. After that, we got a taxi and asked the driver to take us somewhere for local food. We ended up at a family run restaurant where nobody spoke any English! Our taxi driver, David, was able to translate the basics for us. I played it safe with fish, although we don't know what kind it was, because David said he didn't know what it would be in English. It was tasty, and was accompanied by polenta, fried plantains, and a salad. Eric had goat stew, and Austin had okra soup. David decided to stay and have lunch with us, and he had fish soup. We saw something we didn't recognize in Eric's plate, and asked about it. David looked excited, and said, "Oh, you got a pig's tail!" Later we noticed that Austin got one too. I had a hard time eating if I looked at anyone's food other than mine. LOL It was quite an experience, one I'm sure we won't soon forget. Then, David drove us out to the Cave of Hato, where we saw an iguana. Later on, we saw others, but this was the one we were closest to, and were able to see the best.
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| Top Left - first look at Curacao, Top Middle - Eric's food with the pig's tail, Top Right - Austin's food, with a pig's tail, too; Large Picture - our group at lunch; Middle Right - Iguana, Bottom Right - last look before getting back on ship |
Oranjestad, Aruba
In Aruba, we took a tour called "See and Sea." One of my favorite things about Aruba was the north shore. This is the undeveloped side of Aruba, because the waves crash against the rocks with such force, it is unsuitable for swimming...but beautiful for looking at! It was so windy there. "Hold on to your hats!" We also saw a lighthouse up on a hill, with a beautiful view. The former lighthouse keeper's house has been turned into an Italian restaurant. LOL Then, we took a boat out to a semi-submersible where we were able to see a shipwreck, fish, and the amazing coral reef. Once back in town, we had lunch at guana Joe's. Imagine my surprise when I looked at the bill and the tax was only 1.5%! Then, we did some shopping! I got my anniversary present, a beautiful opal bracelet and pendant, and a smaller, caribbean topaz necklace. Of course we couldn't resist buying a t-shirt for our soon-to-be-born grandson. We got it at a store called Del-Sol, where everything is white until you go in the sun, and then it is brilliantly colored!
Roseau, Dominica
The first thing I noticed about Dominica was that the town was very run-down. Also, the streets were very narrow and crowded. We were often shutting our eyes because we were sure our tour bus was going to hit someone. But, then we went into the rain forest! One interesting fact our driver told us was that we passed by a spot where part of the movie, "Pirates of the Caribbean" was filmed. We saw lots of bananas growing as well as other fruits! Then, we went to Jacko falls and there was a stand set up for us to taste the different fruits, and have some freshly made fruit punch. This was a really beautiful area! On our way back to town we stopped at the small botanical gardens. The highlight for me came as we were sailing away from Dominica. We saw a double rainbow! And it appeared to get closer and closer to us. It looked like we could almost reach out and touch it! And, it looked like it disappeared right into the water in front of us. I had never seen anything like it before!
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
St. Thomas had the most beautiful botanical gardens I've ever seen! Everything was so lush and green, and we saw parrots there. Austin loved the fact that they were saying "hello" to him! There was a privately owned house on the property that we were allowed to tour. It was really pretty with stone walls in some rooms. We also got to see Magen's Bay from above. It is voted one of the world's most beautiful beaches. We also got to take a sky lift up to Paradise Point, which allowed us some beautiful views of the whole area! Back in town, we ate at a local cafe, where I had a cashew chicken salad that was quite good, and was beautifully arranged.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
In San Juan, we went to the capitol building and Fort San Cristobal. The capitol building was quite impressive, being all marble. Austin really enjoyed the fort! We needed a lot more time there. There were so many tunnels that would have been fun to explore. The views from the fort were spectacular! In Old San Juan, we saw the public beach, which was very pretty. Then, we had time for lunch at Cafe Berlin. The food was delicious, and I was so happy to have sweet tea again! I had not had it in a week, because on the ship and all the other islands, all the tea was unsweet. We had a very entertaining tour guide in San Juan. He kept us laughing all the way.
Weirdest thing that happened...aside from the pig's tails in the food...
I never thought we'd be visiting the doctor on the ship...but something happened with Austin's foot that he had injured back in December. It had all healed up well, except this one spot. It seemed like something hard was under it and it just wouldn't heal in that spot. I was putting Vitamin E on it before bed one night and noticed something sticking out of the skin. It looked like a piece of thread, but I figured it couldn't be that, because the stitches were supposed to dissolve. I thought surely after 2 months, they would have dissolved. So, the next day, we visited the ship's doctor. He was very nice, and it turned out that what I was feeling was the knot at the end of the stitches. It was too close to the skin, so it was trying to come out. That's why that spot never healed. The doctor gave Austin a shot of lidocaine and removed it.
Highlights from the Ship itself
Everywhere we looked we saw beautiful and interesting things. Here are pictures of a few of my favorites.
There is so much more I could tell, but since this isn't a book, I'll stop now. As you can see, we had a great time, and hope that this will not be our last cruise. Thank you so much to American Wallzone for giving us this vacation!
In Aruba, we took a tour called "See and Sea." One of my favorite things about Aruba was the north shore. This is the undeveloped side of Aruba, because the waves crash against the rocks with such force, it is unsuitable for swimming...but beautiful for looking at! It was so windy there. "Hold on to your hats!" We also saw a lighthouse up on a hill, with a beautiful view. The former lighthouse keeper's house has been turned into an Italian restaurant. LOL Then, we took a boat out to a semi-submersible where we were able to see a shipwreck, fish, and the amazing coral reef. Once back in town, we had lunch at guana Joe's. Imagine my surprise when I looked at the bill and the tax was only 1.5%! Then, we did some shopping! I got my anniversary present, a beautiful opal bracelet and pendant, and a smaller, caribbean topaz necklace. Of course we couldn't resist buying a t-shirt for our soon-to-be-born grandson. We got it at a store called Del-Sol, where everything is white until you go in the sun, and then it is brilliantly colored!
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| Top Left - I don't remember what this place was called, but it was really neat looking, Top Right - "Hold on to your hats!"; Middle Left - Austin on the north shore of Aruba, Middle Right - Austin on the lighthouse steps; Bottom Left - fish on the coral reef, Bottom Right - former lighthouse keeper's house, now an Italian restaurant |
Roseau, Dominica
The first thing I noticed about Dominica was that the town was very run-down. Also, the streets were very narrow and crowded. We were often shutting our eyes because we were sure our tour bus was going to hit someone. But, then we went into the rain forest! One interesting fact our driver told us was that we passed by a spot where part of the movie, "Pirates of the Caribbean" was filmed. We saw lots of bananas growing as well as other fruits! Then, we went to Jacko falls and there was a stand set up for us to taste the different fruits, and have some freshly made fruit punch. This was a really beautiful area! On our way back to town we stopped at the small botanical gardens. The highlight for me came as we were sailing away from Dominica. We saw a double rainbow! And it appeared to get closer and closer to us. It looked like we could almost reach out and touch it! And, it looked like it disappeared right into the water in front of us. I had never seen anything like it before!
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| Top Right - town, Top Middle - crowded street, Top Right - spot where part of "Pirates of the Caribbean" was filmed; Middle - us at Jacko Falls; Bottom Left - pretty bloom, Bottom Right - double rainbow |
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
St. Thomas had the most beautiful botanical gardens I've ever seen! Everything was so lush and green, and we saw parrots there. Austin loved the fact that they were saying "hello" to him! There was a privately owned house on the property that we were allowed to tour. It was really pretty with stone walls in some rooms. We also got to see Magen's Bay from above. It is voted one of the world's most beautiful beaches. We also got to take a sky lift up to Paradise Point, which allowed us some beautiful views of the whole area! Back in town, we ate at a local cafe, where I had a cashew chicken salad that was quite good, and was beautifully arranged.
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| Top Left - beautiful view of Magen's Bay, Top Right - pretty stone wall; Middle Left - parrots, Middle Right - botanical gardens; Bottom Left - funny picture of Austin & Eric at Paradise Point, Bottom Right - cashew chicken salad ... yummy! |
San Juan, Puerto Rico
In San Juan, we went to the capitol building and Fort San Cristobal. The capitol building was quite impressive, being all marble. Austin really enjoyed the fort! We needed a lot more time there. There were so many tunnels that would have been fun to explore. The views from the fort were spectacular! In Old San Juan, we saw the public beach, which was very pretty. Then, we had time for lunch at Cafe Berlin. The food was delicious, and I was so happy to have sweet tea again! I had not had it in a week, because on the ship and all the other islands, all the tea was unsweet. We had a very entertaining tour guide in San Juan. He kept us laughing all the way.
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| Top Left - Capitol Building, Top Middle - murals on ceiling inside Capitol Building, Top Right - trim inside Capitol Building; Center Left - public beach, Center Middle - Austin & Eric approaching the fort, Center Right - sleeping quarters; Bottom Left - view from top of the fort, Bottom Middle - view from fort window, Bottom Right - sweet tea at last! |
Weirdest thing that happened...aside from the pig's tails in the food...
I never thought we'd be visiting the doctor on the ship...but something happened with Austin's foot that he had injured back in December. It had all healed up well, except this one spot. It seemed like something hard was under it and it just wouldn't heal in that spot. I was putting Vitamin E on it before bed one night and noticed something sticking out of the skin. It looked like a piece of thread, but I figured it couldn't be that, because the stitches were supposed to dissolve. I thought surely after 2 months, they would have dissolved. So, the next day, we visited the ship's doctor. He was very nice, and it turned out that what I was feeling was the knot at the end of the stitches. It was too close to the skin, so it was trying to come out. That's why that spot never healed. The doctor gave Austin a shot of lidocaine and removed it.
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| Top - getting the shot of lidocaine; Bottom Left - after the removal, Bottom Right - Austin with the doctor, Owen Evans, from South Africa |
Highlights from the Ship itself
Everywhere we looked we saw beautiful and interesting things. Here are pictures of a few of my favorites.
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| Top Left - one of the many amazing watermelon/fruit sculptures, Top Right - skylight on the Promenade Deck; Middle Left - mural on the wall of the Spa, Middle Right - another mural on the wall of the Spa; Bottom Left - another amazing watermelon/fruit sculpture, Bottom Right - glass staircase |
There is so much more I could tell, but since this isn't a book, I'll stop now. As you can see, we had a great time, and hope that this will not be our last cruise. Thank you so much to American Wallzone for giving us this vacation!
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