Part XLVIII - Installment Travelogue: Mille 2/22/04, With Teens - Nassau Revisited

This is chapter 48 of a continuing travelogue covering the cruise adventures of the ‘X’ family. This is the third story in the series and it chronicles the experience of cruising with teenagers.

After a five-month hiatus this is the third chapter posted within recent weeks, so if you’ve been following the story you might need to catch up with chapters 46 and 47 first. As usual, the pictures appearing below can be clicked to produce a larger image.

If you are unfamiliar with the stories, there is an explanation and a full index on another thread on CruiseCritic, the Master Table of Contents. It seems that most of the ‘old-timers’ aren’t around anymore, but I hope some new readers will join in. Hey, it’s cheaper than a paperback.

In this chapter, we head into Nassau for the last full day of the cruise.

With a CD in the player, I lay back and thought about our next stop. I’d had a little misadventure in Nassau on the Galaxy cruise (chapter 14, http://www.chesterh.com/chapters/14.htm), and vowed that next time I’d just go to the beach. With that pleasant thought in mind I drifted off to sleep, unaware of the forces working to thwart my simple plan.

Chapter 48 – Nassau Revisited

I was reclining on a white sand beach under a strong tropical sun, clutching an ice cold G&T. Wells and Dan were in the perfect blue water, surrounded by an admiring gaggle of bikini-clad young women. Kris was absorbed in a book, playing warm sand between her toes. What a perfect way to spend the last day of the cruise.

As I drifted off to sleep, I could still feel the motion of the ship. Some indeterminate time later, as consciousness slowly spread through my brain, the feeling of motion was amplified. I awoke fully with a start, surrounded by darkness.

It took a moment to get my bearings and to realize that we were still on the ship. I slipped out of bed and tiptoed out the door and into the dining/living room. It was freezing cold, the result of having the thermostat turned down all the way to ward off the heat in St. Thomas the day before.

Raising the curtains revealed a stark monotone canvas, with an indistinct horizon dividing angry gray water from angry gray clouds. It looked like a stormy November day in New Hampshire. Without doubt, though, it was warmer here than it was back home. It was already 9:00, and the last day of the cruise was slipping by.

Kris didn’t stir as I showered and dressed optimistically in shorts and a t-shirt (if I had a CruiseCritic t-shirt I would have worn it – but that’s an old story). I decided not to disturb her since she rarely sleeps past 5:00. We’d be back to the routine soon enough.

I sprinted up the stairs carrying my oversize coffee mug, which I filled before venturing out to the rear deck. Once there, I turned right around and went to the cabin for a jacket. It was as cold as it looked outside – maybe 50 degrees with a stiff breeze. It made me think about ‘wind-chill factor’.

Kris was in the shower as I retrieved my polar fleece from the suitcase where it was supposed to remain until the flight home. I told her where to meet me, and advised that she dress appropriately.

I sat out in the breeze drinking hot coffee until Kris showed up. We went in to fetch some breakfast, and were surprised by the arrival of Wells and Dan in the buffet. Fully loaded with food, we had no problem finding a table outside.

“It’s freezing out here,” said Dan.

“Yeah, I thought the Bahamas were supposed to be tropical,” added Wells.

“They are,” I answered. “Maybe it’ll clear up. It’s still early. We’re not due into Nassau until noon.”

“So, what are we doing today?” asked Dan

“I’m still hoping to go to the beach. Even if it only gets into the 60’s, as long as the sun is out it should be a good beach day,” I said hopefully.

Kris looked around skeptically. “I don’t know. It might just be a shopping day.” She went on to explain the Straw Market to the boys, and I told the tale of getting trapped in the courtyard of the commercial building on our previous visit. The boys recounted their experiences of the previous evening, which hadn’t ended until almost 5:00 a.m. Among other activities, Wells turned $20 into $200 playing blackjack.

“I still haven’t gotten up the nerve to try blackjack,” said Kris.

“Me neither,” I said. “But I’m glad you quit while you were ahead.”

“What did you think of the Grand Buffet?” asked Kris.

Dan gushed, “That was awesome! I couldn’t believe it.” Wells was suitable impressed, too. I was surprised to hear that they actually spent quite a bit of time there – long enough to sample some of the goodies.

After breakfast, we decided to return to our cabins rather than ‘chill out’ on deck. Time passed quickly, and when I began to see a number of small boats smashing through the high seas, I called the boy’s room.

A sleepy voice answered. “Huh?”

“Get up. We’re coming into port, and you should watch how they park this thing. It’s amazing.” We agreed to meet topside.

The boys found us leaning over the railing watching the pilot boat come alongside. The seas were so rough that the pilot’s transfer to Millennium was a stunt worthy of Hollywood. We went forward to watch as the ship nosed through the narrow opening of the harbor, turned 180 degrees on a dime, and backed ever-so-gently into the slip. The boys were appropriately impressed by the maneuver.

The character of the day hadn’t changed a bit. “Well, so much for the beach,” I said. “That’s too bad.”

We told the boys how to get to the Straw Market, pointing out the location along the waterfront. Kris gave them a motherly sendoff. “I guess we’ll see you at dinner. Have fun. Don’t get arrested. We have school day after tomorrow.”

Back in the cabin, I looked out the window. Way down below, a ship sat at the dock where Galaxy had tied up during our first cruise adventure. The ship looked tiny and kind of forlorn. She had the classic lines of an old ocean liner. Sadly, the glory was all but gone. The foredeck was littered with stacks of wood, metal and piles of other stuff hidden under blue tarps. I assumed that the ship was not in active use as a cruiser, and was perhaps undergoing restoration – that is until I saw a few people make their way down the steep stairway to the dock.

Kris decided to go shopping in town, but I remained uncertain about what to do.

“I’ve seen all the stores once already – that’s enough for me,” I said.

“I want to get something for my mother, and I was thinking about getting a gift for Albert’s new baby. What do you think?” (Albert, our waiter, was expecting his first child any day).

I was noncommittal in my response, as is my habit when it comes to shopping. “Whatever you think is best. I guess we’ll just meet up whenever.”

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Kris was gone in a flash. I stayed behind and studied the ship below for quite a while. Unlike most cruise ships of today, she showed a lot of the business end of sailing. There were ropes, cranes, trap doors, pipes, wires, crates and winches all over the place. Plastic lounge chairs surrounded a tiny pool on the large rear deck. A hot tub bubbled to no one’s pleasure, and a bar was set up under a canvas shade – manned, but with no customers.

After a while, I decided to go down to the dock and identify our neighbor. It turned out to be the Regal Empress. I guessed that she dated from the 30’s, but later found out that the ship was built as an ocean liner in the early 50’s – originally christened Olympia – now in use for short trips from Florida to the Bahamas

Millennium completely dwarfed the smaller ship. I tried to imagine how different the experience must be, and wished I could board the ship just to look around. It would have been like a museum visit, which, given the weather, would have been a perfect activity for the day.

The wind was howling and the skies threatened, but that did not stop throngs of people from pouring out of the 5 or 6 ships in port. I meandered toward town, and paused to watch garbage being unloaded and carted away from another ship. I could feel the excitement building…

In town, I walked exactly one block before making my decision to turn around and re-board Millennium. Just to add a little spice to the day, I stopped and withdrew some cash from an ATM as some unsavory characters watched from the street corner. I walked away unmolested, fighting the tide of new arrivals as I returned to the ship.

Much to my surprise, Kris was in the cabin.

“What are you doing here? I asked.

“I got what I needed for my mother, and really didn’t feel like fighting the crowds.”

“Did you go to the Straw Market?”

“No way. It was crazy with people.”

“Did you get something for Albert’s baby?”

“I didn’t think you wanted me to.”

Huh – I thought it was a great idea. I’ll have to be clearer next time…

We decided to put on bathing suits under our winter coats and get some lunch at the pool grill. Amazingly, as we gathered our food, the sun came out. There wasn’t anyone at all on the pool deck who wasn’t working, so we had our pick. I took three lounge chairs for myself – one for sitting, one for my pack, and another to use as a table. The ultimate chair hog…

We had a good hour of sunshine, during which time another half dozen people joined us. The hot tub was marvelous. When it clouded over again, the wind carried a distinct chill and drove us to seek shelter.

“Let’s go to the t-pool,” Kris said. It was a quick trip, and the cavernous glass roofed space was warm and inviting. Among the few people present were Wells and Dan.

Kris greeted them. “Hey guys! How was it? Where’d you go? What’d you get?”

“We went to the Straw Market,” Dan answered. “I hated it.”

“Yeah, the people were pushy and their stuff wasn’t very good,” said Wells.

Both boys sported new Bob Marley shirts and some trinkets. “Where did you get those?” Kris asked.

“In a regular store,” said Dan.

“You didn’t buy anything at the market?”

“Nope.”

It is some comfort that my family is not addicted to shopping. We all agreed that the ship was a great place to be on certain port days. We spent a leisurely afternoon eating goodies from the adjacent café and swimming in the warm pool.

At about 4:00, a noise that sounded like a jet’s roar arose. I found the source by looking up, where an intense downpour hit the glass roof and cascaded in rivers off the edge in a good imitation of Niagara. Within minutes, everyone must have returned to the ship and half of them gravitated to the t-pool.

“Well, gentlemen, looks like it’s time to go. You need to pack your bags before dinner – everything you don’t need tonight or tomorrow.”

“Why?” Wells asked.

“Because they collect the luggage tonight.”

“Why?” asked Dan.

Such inquisitive youth… “So they can get everyone off the ship in a hurry tomorrow morning and get ready for the next bunch.”

The boys headed back to their cabin looked dejected, and I knew exactly how they felt. Kris and I spent more than two hours packing, leaving the bed covered with suitcases. We had a few minutes to prepare tips and then relax before the doorbell signaled the boy’s arrival.

We looked around to make sure that nothing was left behind. Before leaving for the dining room, Kris said to the boys, “Can you please put our suitcases by the door so they can turn down the bed?”

Dan looked puzzled. “Wow, you guys have a heated bed?”

It took a moment for me to make the connection, and a moment after that, both Kris and Wells joined me in a good chuckle. Dan still looked puzzled until Kris explained the meaning of her phrase.

Dinner was subdued, but as usual our table was the last to empty. We exchanged information and farewells with Betsy, Nickie (fully recovered), Dave and Kent. Kris advised the boys to take it easy as they headed off for one more night’s carousing.

Kris and I went to the casino, and depleted our $20 allocation in about three and a half minutes – a new record. Back in the cabin, Kris was asleep in minutes. I sat and stared out the window. A reddish glow stood out on the horizon, and the televised map suggested that I was seeing Freeport.

Tomorrow would feature nothing more than a routine trip home – or so I hoped. It wouldn’t be long before Millennium docked in Florida, and I decided I’d rather sleep through it. In the bedroom, I ate both chocolates and slid under the covers. Pretty soon, we were all back on the beach in Nassau…

Next: Homeward Bound

It is a warm spring day here in southeast Kansas and your last post brings our own cruise on MILLENNIUM a few years ago back in mind. We are in between cruises here and anxiously waiting for our next opportunity to head out to sea.

Our trip to Nassau (in December of 2001) wasn’t as cool as yours, but I wish that we had stayed on board after we had the experience. MILLENNIUM is a fantastic ship (and INFINITY as well) and we would sail her again without hesitation.

It was good to think about sailing again and your post really brings back the memories. You really should think about publishing your cruising memoirs some day.

We’ve been on CENTURY, MILLENNIUM, RHAPSODY OF THE SEAS, and INFINITY and would dearly love to sail GALAXY and MERCURY as well as the other two M class ships any time. Your posts bring to mind fond memories of our cruise experiences and I hope you get the chance to cruise many more times and report to the rest of us how they went.

Take care and please accept our best regards for you and yours…

Thanks for Chapters 47 and 48, Chester (er. Chestah):D. I sometimes have trouble wrapping my Canadian accent around er's and ah's.

As always, your chapters are a pleasure to read and still leave me wishing for the next episode. Selfish, I know, but, as a fellow cruiser, I'm sure you understand.

I must admit I look forward to a published hardcover edition of your memories.

Till # 49...

Terry:)

Thanks for my Sunday night read. As usual, I wasn't disappointed.

Did you have time to enjoy the G&T while the sun was still up? God forbid you miss that!!!

Nancy

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have completely enjoyed all of your chapters/posts. It has been a long winter waiting for the new posts, but definitely worth the wait! It was getting bittersweet as I read toward the end of each chapter, that much closer to your final post, but I'm excited to learn of your upcoming cruise (YEAH)! I hope you will post that as well-selfish on my part (I know but you have me hooked)-something to look forward to as we all finish reading about cruising with teens. Having cruised with my in-laws, I'm wondering which will be more of an adventure?

Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us!

Colyn

Kansas, we have had four absolutely perfect days in New Hampshire, with one more to go before the cold returns. I was surprised to see a ‘severe weather alert’ symbol next to the NH forecast link. Turns out to be a warning for forest fire danger because it has been so dry. At this rate, mud season will be over in no time.

I think we’ve had enough of Nassau, but I would like to go back to Coco Key and try the waverunners again. Still makes me smile… By all means, give Galaxy a try. She still stands out as special -- to us, at least.

Terry, the Boston rule is that, at the end of a word, you swap ah’s for r’s, and er’s for a’s. Chester becomes Chestah, and Donna becomes Donner. Quite simple, really. When I listen closely to the Boston accent, I clearly hear the British underpinnings. Regarding the book, hardcover is a publishing option, but I’ll see how things go in paperback before making the investment. Soon…real soon.

Nancy, I finished in record time and enjoyed two G&T’s while getting a little sunburn. I haven’t felt that good since being on a cruise.

Colyn, it was a long winter no matter how you look at it. It must be a defense mechanism to partially shut down the mental systems and wait it out. Glad we all made it, again… I have mixed feelings about the upcoming trip. I’m pretty sure I’ll write about it, because it is a fun thing to do. I could already write a book just about the process of making the arrangements, but I have to be somewhat restrained. I do expect this to be the greatest adventure yet. Because of teenagers’ natural tendency to exclude adults from their little worlds, it was hard to get much from the boys about their experience. This is simply not the case with parents, who willingly take hours to relate the simplest of stories. My mother has kissed the Blarney Stone, and a single quote may run for several pages. I’d better exercise my typing fingers (all two of them).

All the best,

chesterh

Interesting that you saw the Regal Empress. DW & I were on it years ago and it was a classic then. Glad to know she is still sailing. Have enjoyed your stories. Keep it up. Can't wait for the next installment.

Thanks, Roaddog. I do wish I could have spent the day exploring the Empress. I'm curious to know how the experience on her compares to that on today's megaliners. Any thoughts? The difference in size was just stunning -- I only have the one picture to illustrate it, but I don't think it does justice.

chesterh

Hi Chester--- Nice to come back and find another chapter. Looks like you are getting to the end of the saga and I hope you write about the August cruise.

We returned from the 17 day cruise thru the canal last Wednesday. Wonderful trip with 17 sunny days and calm seas. We were sooo lucky! I didn't overpack and the laundry service had 2 "specials" during the trip. However, this rainy weather is getting to me!!! Please order some sun!!

Anxiously awaiting the next saga--- Nancy

Welcome back, Nancy. Sounds like you had a perfect voyage. The shipment of sun arrived today – hope you enjoy it. So, how does it feel to be back? Never mind…I know exactly how it feels.

All the best,

chesterh

Chestah,

I began to think you had forgotten your loyal readers and here your are! We have not met all your family but feel like we know them all! It is wonderfull to expereince it all with all of you.

Nassau is not our favorite place so we would be back on board quickly too. There are some lovely islands to visit, but this is not a favorite of ours.

Is there a book coming soon? Do we get a cut?

We have shocked my new employer (though not our friends) by booking yet another cruise. We will be sailing on Constellation Novemeber 10 for the repositioning to San Juan from Bayonne. The price was great, though it has gone through the roof with the new pricing policies. It is a very active thread in connections; probably the best pre cruise group since the Mercury trip we shared.

Our best to all.

Harry & Donna

Hey Donner (and Harry) - Glad to 'see' you. I would never abandon my CC friends... Since you've met Ryan, you might want to check out his pictures from a trip to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in January (links on my home page).

If anything, another visit to Nassau taught me how pleasant it was to stay on board the ship in port. That was a first.

The book is due out about August 1. It will only cover the Galaxy trip, so you won't get a cut until volume two (Mercury) hits the stands. Here is a concept sketch for the cover (I'll take this offline in a couple of days):

© 2005 chesterh

Great to hear about your upcoming cruise and the enthusiastic 'connections' group. I can't get anyone to talk about our August cruise -- I have a feeling that almost everyone on board will be a first-timer, and none of them have bothered to do any research...yet.

All the best,

chesterh

Chestah!

It is great to have a lively group! I hope yours perks up although we know once you're there, you'll have a great time! You can always meet nice people on a cruise.

Harry and I both LOVE your cover! Sign us up for two signed first editions, one for us, one for Ali and Phil. Remember us when you are rich and famous!

With limited vacation yet again, we are going to try and have some escape weekends over the summer. Perhaps we can persuade you and Chris to join us for some mischief! Phil has closed his business so he is a house husband right now while Ali is still working way too hard. Harry has been promoted and now works from home 95% of the time. Big changes for sure!

We all got together recently for a day in NYC and will be returning to see Spamalot in October. Harry and I saw it in April and can't wait to see it again with the other half of the laughing foursome!

Looking forward as always to the next installment!

Donna

Donner - It's nice in New Hampshire and Maine - come on up. Plenty of mischief to go around. Ryan sends his best to you and Harry, Ali and Phil.

I'll put you on the list for a couple of books. If anyone else would like to be notified when the book is released, please drop me a line at:

All the best,

chesterh

We can’t wait to see your book. Spring has sprung here, the grass is green, the days are warm, and the nights are just right for sleeping with the windows open. Ya gotta like that!

We’re still debating about when and where our next cruise will take place, but our oldest daughter has her next cruise planned as she was named as one of her company’s “employees of the year”. She and her husband have cruised twice already and are hooked on cruising by now I’m sure. I wish my employer was so generous. Our youngest daughter cruised with us a couple of years ago and she reluctantly admits that she enjoyed spending a week with her mother and me on RHAPSODY OF THE SEAS. We have a son (our oldest child) that has not cruised yet and we are trying to plan a time when he and his wife can cruise with us (our treat). Scheduling a cruise is not very hard for my wife and me, but finding a week or more of vacation for all four of us with their schedules is a little more challenging.

Take care and keep posting. I hope all of your family is well. We’re expecting our first grand child in a week or so from our oldest daughter, so we’re very excited about our newest addition to the family. We’ll definitely be looking for your book. Thanks again for your posts, we really enjoy them.

Chester thanks so much for your latest installments! I have followed your cruising adventures for a long time, but had given up when I happened to check on your site today and, voila, three new installments!

Our next cruise is on the Maasdam, and have been frequenting the HAL board exclusively, along with another little cruise board that is very homey and friendly.

Also, have seen that you're not getting a lot of response from your thread on your August cruise, oh well, there isn't one for our November 5 cruise at all! Have a wonderful time on your upcoming cruise and be sure to let us know how the "Mothers" like cruising. My mother would have hated it, but now my father would have been another story.

Thanks again and will check in with you regarding a copy of your book when it comes out.

Kansas – Spring came to New Hampshire for a few days, and then it turned around and left. Today the high temperature is expected to be 48 degrees, with intermittent rain. Rain is forecast all the way through next Saturday. The upside is that everything is green and the flowering trees have had their showy displays preserved for an unusually long time by the cold temperatures. The downside is that this phenomenon can only be comfortably viewed through a window.

I think cruising is a wonderful family activity. We frequently share stories from our trips – it is a strong bond. Make sure to take your grandchild some day. Congratulations.

Thank you, Jane. I wish I could find more cruisers in advance of our Maasdam trip – maybe they’ll come out of the woodwork closer to the departure date. Why don’t you start a thread for your cruise? Somebody has to go first…

I grew up in a non-vacation household, so this will literally be my first vacation with my mother. I really hope she enjoys it…

All the best,

chesterh

Let me see if I have this right. Forecast is calling for rain. You yourself said "this phenomenon can only be comfortably viewed through a window".

Maybe you'll get happy fingers?

Maybe we'll get another chapter?

Inquiring minds want to know.

M&N - Coming right up. I will remind you, however, that the cruise is essentially over, and all we have to do is get home. Chapter 49 will be a short one -- I'm more looking forward to part 50, the epilogue. This will be posted on June 2, precisely.

The book cover has progressed:

chesterh

It doesn't matter to me how much is written...I just look forward to reading.

The cover looks great for the book, but I have to ask...the eyes are old, and I can't make out what is written on the side of the wave runner. Am I missing something?

Nancy

chesterh

The wave runner story is one of my all-time favorite chapters. Sometimes, I'll just go back to the different cruises and pick chapters to read that are almost as much fun to read the second (or third) time around as they were the first.

Thanks too for showing me what the eyes were missing. Sometimes it sucks when you want to see something, but can't. Mike probably wishes that theory applied to hearing. :rolleyes:

We had high-school graduation tonight, and tomorrow we are off for orientation for college. Doesn't give a person much time to dwell on the sadness/beauty of it all. For once, I want the summer to last forever.

Nancy