Cruising the Westerdam on 3/20-3/27 I

[OC PAT]

OCPat reporting on her adventure in stages. Traveling with me was my 55 yr. old husband which was our 8th cruise and first time on HAL. Also brother and his DH-42 yrs. old and sis and her DH 52 and 49 yrs. old and their sons 16 and 12. We all still work and appreciate a good vacation. This was a trip dedicated to my dear father who died last April. It was something he wanted the family to do after the first cruise he took with me in 11/03. This was my brother's and sister's family's first cruise. What a delight to see it thru their eyes.

 

Day 1-Why anyone reports their adventure from the home airport baffles me but I'll follow the trend. We left from Reagon on a cold morning at 7:20 A.M. Our fliight went well. Luggage retrieved easily at FLL. Then the long and confusing line to get a taxi. No one was sure which line was which. We finally figured the Share-A-Ride was quicker at 8 dollars a person. You had to be on your guard because others would jump the line. We befriended folks in line and protected each other. Arrival at Port EverGlades was very smooth and quick. We arrived around noon. No problems. As we boarded the ship HAL crew members were giving out nice CD packs for the kids programs. The individual sleeves of the CD pack outlined the activities. They cheerfully reported 100 plus teens aboard and we later learned 200 plus kids under 13. Now I always thought HAL was an old farts cruise. Yeah, it's spring vacation but that many kids on HAL! More on those DAM kids later.

 

The weather was perfect... low 80's no rain and cool breezes. This was true thru out the cruise. Back home rainy, raw and a nor'eastner chilling everyones' bones. He He couldn't resist..

 

We had lunch on the Lido Deck. We ate lunches and some breakfasts there thru out the cruise. I liked the omelets to order and had my first shrimp omelet. Not bad. Also they had egg beaters. Lido had lots of fresh fruit. The staff didn't really start helping people with their trays until mid-week. They were also slow to clean the tables until mid-week. OJ on Lido was excellent. They were serving a tang substance in the dining room towards the end of the cruise. They ran out of their excellent cranberry juice mid-week We didn't eat dinner there but my sisters kids did and were satisfied.

 

Lifeboat drill was at4;15. Our station was on the sunny side with no air. I nearly past out from the heat and mass bodies in one area. Our luggage hadn't arrived until just before dinner. We had the 6;15 seating.

 

Our cabin was 5135-aft balcony on starboard side. It was sort of a corner balcony. Yes, we could see down to the balcony below us. Room was overwhelmed with huge bed. DH is 6' and we are both big people so huge bed is a wonderful sight to us. Plenty of storage space. Suitcases fit under the bed. Had a bathtub and the largest bathroom we've had on a cruise. One could actually turn around in there. We have been able to take a leak and shower at the same time in previous cruise bathrooms. I might have been able to shave my legs if I was so inclined...not.

 

Well, I have to make some calls and will leave you at this points.

[Brentwood Cruiser]

Cant wait for the rest of your review. Keep it coming. Will be nice to compare your experience with some of the other CCers.

[johnlcruise]

Dont stop

Keep it coming.

Would like to know how well the HAL crew handel the spring break kids.

[OC PAT]

The cabin was really in a great location. The elevators were right around the corner and were just outside the dining room on the 2nd deck. The Bonji sp? tree, however, in the middle of the elevator section kept jumping out and hitting my right arm. ouch....

 

Sis had a quad cabin on deck one-inside. One bunk over their bed and a pull out couch. They had no problems and were happy with their cabin 1031. Brother was a bit further down the hall in an inside cabin and were pleased. their cabin. They liked the location because it was near the hub of many things...stores, casino and disembarkment site for the islands. They felt little motion from the seas.

 

Our dinning table was all so perfect. It was the lower dinning room dead center of the ship and against the aft window. There was 8 of us and we were very comfortable and loved the view. On previous cruises it was very difficult to get comfortable because the tables were on top of each other. Our waiter and his supervisor were good. When things became slow the supervisor was there working as hard as the staff. We were a difficult table because my sisters time schedule is not with the rest of the world. She doesn't get that 6:15 means 6:15 not 6:45. To her credit she would only order what was easy for our waiter. There was a table of 8 kids. oldest being around 11 next to us. Believe it or not these kids were pretty good. I've seen more ill behaved adults in the past. I was tickled that the parents were on the other side of the little section divide so that the kids were out of sight. It appeared that staff played and amused the kids and brought typical kid food...grill cheeze and chicken. Ed enjoyed the lamb. Served two different nights. Chip had to send back a rare steak...he wanted medium. The waiter was quick to take care of the problem. I couldn't go to lobster night but the kids reported it was a long wait for their 2nd lobster. They did order 2 from the start but were told it must be brought out seperately. They were dissapointed that it was small. Actually I wasn't disappointed with the size with the ones I got in my cabin. It's a surf and turf and I must admit the filet was very good. I usually ordered the seafood for dinner and found the meals to be very tasty. It seemed the menu was more limited then my previous cruises. I'm a big appetizer eater and did enjoy many of the 4 choices offered for dinner. The desserts seemed ok but I'm not a sweet eater. The ice cream was very good.... everyone agreed. The relationship with our waiter was good but not as inter-active as previous cruises. I never did get the assist. waiter's name. The supervisor was really dynamic and helpful.

 

Before dinner at the sail-a-way we made arrangements to meet with our cruise critic friends at the aft pool wearing orange shirts and blowing bubbles.

It was great matching faces to their critic names. We met with our Candian friends, another Candian family that now lives in our state, Md. who it turns we know the same people and that suntan mom and her lovely daughter from Fla. Great fun and talks. Wonder what happened to Johanna?

 

When we got back to our cabin I received a call from Pinnacle Rest. to confirm our reservation. I told him that we didn't make a reservation but our travel agent Pete did as a gifty. Nice way to start our cruise. We went into the dinning to make sure the kids found there way and had a appetizer. Dinner was at 7. Ed had the filet and was very happy. He is very perticular about his beef and was so pleased. I also had beef but since my taste is well done with seasons I was bit dissappointed. Also ordered the volcanoe cake..not my cup of tea but Ed like it. If you are a choclate lover get it. Heard the Captain also had dinner there that night. Service was good. It's a dinning experience so if you're in a hurry this isn't for you. Dinner took over 2 hrs.

 

We were tired and headed for bed. The kids (my brother and sister) went to the show with their families and enjoyed them. Tommorow will be Nassau. We planned on getting up early and getting off the ship right away. This will be the first the kids have been out of the USA. Chip ordered room service. Liked it but liked dinning room breakfast better.

 

Have to go. Will add to the adventure at the next opportunity.

[dakrewser]

Sounds like you had a wonderful time. But I want to hear how you made it from Ocean City to National Airport for a 7:20 AM flight! And how your "time challenged" sister managed it!!

[1stMate]

We were there the same time you were. From OC, why didn;t you fly from BWI rather than Reagan, Southwest flies directly to FLL from BWI.

 

It seems the Captain is fond of the Pinnacle, he ate there when we did on the second night, and with you on the first.

 

I like the Bonsai trees The midship elevators drove me crazy. The glass elevators and the middle elevators all operated independently from each other.

[OC PAT]

1st mate-How kind of you to slip in the correct spelling of Bonsai and Reagan. You mean that tree didn't get you? We also preferred those elevators. Ed was saying this is the first time we weren't waiting forever or having too many people on the elevators. Believe me there are some ships that have serious elevator delays. We went with Reagan due to price. It was a little over 200 dollars a person on Spirit airlines round trip. The saving was significant for a group of 8.

Dakrewser- Chip, my brother, lives in Annapolis. We drove up the day before. Ann Marie lives in Severna Park. Her brother-in-law drove them. I had her load the van the night before. We called her at 5 to insure they were leaving. Brother Steve and Chip's son drove us to the airport. We had cell phone communication going between the 3 cars. I had 2 copies of Ann Marie's boarding tickets. Gave a set to Dave as they arrived. He lost them in less than 5 minutes and I pulled out my spare. He He..

 

Nassau-Chip and Karen were off and running early. They wanted to explore and would meet us at Nassau Beach Hotel. Ann Marie and Dave went shopping. We took Danny and Mike. Went searching for the jitney to get us to Cable Beach. When we came out of the terminial I led our crew straight up the block...wrong should have made a right. Couldn't remember the jitney number, asked and was directed to the local instead of the direct route. Forgot and paid right away. Suppose to pay as you get off. They were kind and didn't point out my error. This turned out to be a great learning experience for the kids. They saw the day to day activities of Nassau. Kids going to school, mostly in uniforms, parents going to work, the housing, their stores and then the resort community which was a very dramatic change. Everyone who got on the bus greeted everyone with good morning. Danny who has his driver's learning permit refers to this island as the island where he was almost killed. The bus drivers have to be aggressive to get around and the timid wishes there was a bathroom aboard. Got to Nassau Beach Hotel around 9:30 a.m.. Walked thru the lobby, down their steps out onto the beach. Wow, we were there about 10 yrs. ago and the hurricanes have really chopped the beach up. I had 2 knee replacements and a 4 foot drop makes everything quiver. But I was determined and found a low spot. Beach was rocky in places, water coolish and the sun really didn't come out until we were leaving. Meanwhile Chip was there earlier and thougth that he had gone to the wrong hotel so he went over to next door and waited by the pool. We never did find each other. Worried about getting back in time so we took a cab for 18 dollars.. Chip took the jitney and got back just as quickly...at a dollar a person. Ann Marie and Dave shopped and went to the Straw Market. They found it to be hot and dirty. But they are bargin hunters and enjoy the coming to terms on cost. We held our collective breaths on the ship until we saw the time challenged couple.

 

Had lunch at the Lido and hit the Lido aft Pool. Ed was off to one of his first of many naps. This pool is designated as an adult pool. Forget that on this cruise. The tiny pool had at least 50 kids jumping for joy. Tried to get in and gave up. No one to voice a concern to. Was looking for a cool drink and didn't want to move from my perch. Finally I flagged a bar gal. She said she just didn't see me. Believe me I am not a shrinking violet. I'm use to being annoyed by the bar folks and entertained by their antics. Not on this ship. You know that 15% tip that's automatically added..thought that was going to the person who was waiting on you? Nope, it's put in a pool and equally divided amoungst all the staff. So the eager beaver works for the lazy waiter. Hence the service is slow. The pay for the service crew is lower on HAL than most cruise lines. If you're a drinker it might pay off to threw a buck or two to your bar person for quick and often service. This includes your soda drinkers. The boys felt the soda cards were a rip off because they were often ignored and had to wait until no one was at a bar, usually at the pools, to get waited on. Often the drinks were watered down. Mike struck revenge by asking for all their cherries. They try to limit him but he would just drink his soda up fast and order another soda with cherries.

 

Must add a comment on the ship's decor. Outstanding and very classy. I found the ship to be very clean. I am one to walk past an Art Gallery and go to a science shop but I must admit the art on this ship which is everywhere was really interesting and pleasant to the eye. The fresh flowers added to the tropical romance and again they were everywhere. Just watch out for the Bonsai trees. Dave enjoyed the Art Auctions. I understand the champayne was very good.

 

Mike found the middle age youth group which ends at 12 yr. was too young for him. He'll be 13 in June. Well mom got him switched to the teen group and we never saw the kid in the evening again. He's our social butterfly. They had a pool party that allowed rough housing. Mike had several light scratched and consider the party a highlight. Dan spent alot of time on the basketball court. He said he was the second best on the ship.

 

Well it's past my bedtime so I'll visit you again this weekend with the final adventures.

OCPAT

[dakrewser]

C'mon, you've got to tell us - did they ever miss getting back on time?!?

[Ziggy7]

OC PAT,

Sorry to hear about your father, glad you are finally taking that family cruise your father dreamed of :) Patiently waiting for the rest of your review :)

[OC PAT]

Day at Sea-up early and in the aft pool with other grownups. We agreed to give a united dirty look to anyone under 18. Worked well for a while but then those darn kids invaded. I was jumped on and kicked in the gut. Not fun. When I asked a couple young ladies if they knew this was an adult pool they responded yes but didn't care. Ok I'm on vacation so I just say to myself no problems, smile and get out of the pool in one piece. Interesting enough sister was over at the mid-pool designated for the kids. When I was trying to figure our if I could handle the stairs a father frowned at me and said this was the children's pool. A note for those of you that our physically challenged. You can get into the pool. You sit on the wall and pull your feet around. The steps into and out of the pools are wide, secure and easy to manage. Oh happy days for those knee replacement! We enjoyed a great breeze at the aft pool. It was too much for sis so she went to the mid pool which cut some of the winds. Chip and Karen went topside away from all the kids enjoying the sun and their books.

 

Now, when it came to the islands I planned and booked the tours for the family, hence, we wouldn't have anyone missing the boat. We did hit a couple of bumps but saw through them. I had rented a van thru a St. Martin company. When I heard that the ship was getting in at 12 instead of 10 I e-mailed them. On the ship I worried that they would be waiting at the pier so I used the Inter-net accomdations on the ship. What a laugh. Didn't know that I had to connect up with my internet service. Anyways left the message early Wed. morning. Unfortuatley, his server was down and he got the message that evening. So we're looking for the van...no van. Another company representative talked to my dh and said he would rent us a van for the same amount...$140.00 included insurence. His office was on a corner with a box that had tolit paper, pen and paper. We waited about 1/2 hr. but finally were able to be on our way. I was trying to call the orginal rental company..no phone books at their public phones and no 411. The jewelry store lent me their phone book and helped me look. Real nice folks in St. Maarteen. We first went to Bikini Beach/Orient Beach. They loved it. Mike was jumping on the trampleline in the water that said 10 dollars a day. I can assure you Mike didn't pay and no one asked for money. This was around 2 pm. Mike did get upset when he ordered a frozen non-alcoholic drink and had to pay 5 dollars. He didn't know the cost before ordering. Mike was really mad and thought he had been ripped off. We did order ribs and chicken meals. Not cheap but very tasty. The ship staff said the stores in Philsburg close at 5;30 so we said that we would leave the beach at 4. Well sis and her family drove me and brother nuts. First she disappeared as Ed went to air condition the van. Then Danny disappeared or so we thought but he was with mom. Dad decided to go down the beach looking for Danny. Then we had Dan and mom and no dad. So brother ran down the beach looking for dad. So by 4:30 we were all in the van racing back to town. First stop was Rima's. If you bought any clothing on the beach or in the straw market check the label. Most times it will say Rima's The store sells to everyone else. So it's cheaper there. Dad and I did our Christmas shopping there in Nov., 03. It's located on the town side of the road that borders the pond sort of across from the bar that's an airplane. That bar is were the locals go...fun place. Great buys on all beachware, beads etc. Now it's 5;15pm and we still have to get jewelry. Back in the van fighting bumper to bumper traffic. So they get out and Ed, Dave and the boys ride around in circles until we get what we wanted. Brother got his lady a new ring and a watch for himself and sister a new gold neckless. I got a bottle of Tanquery for 10 dollars and Johney Walker Green for 30 dollars. Brother decided they would do their own thing. They shopped more and went back to the ship for dinner. Turns out many shops were open until 6 or 6:30. We hopped in the van and went to Maho Beach to see the planes. The traffic was really bad going in the opposite direction. Ed was really worried. We sat at the picnic table at the Sunset Bar, with drinks. Sis got ribs, Mike chicken nuggets and I got conch fritters. The bar has a radio that you can hear the tower talking as the planes approach. Kids loved it. The bar has a blackboard that posts the times that the big planes arrive. The band played great music as we watched the planes and another cruise ship leaving. We didn't find the traffic as dense on our return trip. Had Ed stop at a big grocery store so I could get some coke/diet coke. They closed the store as I entered so I didn't get to browse. Got back into town around 9;30 Had to go to the bathroom and found the casino to be a great place to solve that problem Town is pretty much dead. A few ladies still looking to braid our hair. Bumped into brother who just came from a beach side bar listening to live music. Van returned with no problems. The tenders were no problems. Brother was one of the first in line that morning to get our tender tickets. You don't have to have all family members present to get the tickets.

 

Well tommorow we will talk about BVI. Ok, Shadow Ron, are you paying attention? OCPAT

[stanford's girl]

Loving the review and the style of your writing. Keep it coming.:)

[fritzylady]

I just finished talking to a friend who cruised the same week you did on the Westerdam and was very disappointed because the last formal night was on good Friday and she couldn't find any seafood on the menu. No lobster, nothing. She went up to the Lido deck and there were no nonmeat entree's available there either. I'm just curious-what night did you have lobster?

[sandij]

We were on the same cruise and they had the surf and turf on Good Friday, being a Catholic married to a non we just split it and I had two lobsters and he had two steaks. They also offer salmon on the same night.

[1stMate]

I was on the 3/20 Westerdam and in fact had lobster in the main dining room on Good Friday and I'm sure there was also a fish or seafood appetizer.

[OC PAT]

Thanks for the nice feedback and encouragement. The Lobster was Friday night. It was served with the filet. Maybe she just saw the filet and didn't see and lobster.

 

One of our previous cruise highlights was sailing to the Baths with Captain Suprise. So I promoted an all day sail to the kids. It was a little costly for sis and she had to think about it. The ship was offering a 1/2 day for I think 60 dollars. I intended to book with Petouche. They have received great reviews. Send info. to brother and sister. He called and booked stating he was with me. Then there's fast action Ann Marie. She decided yes but by the time I contacted Petouche they were booked. I didn't know Chip was booked. So I e-mailed everybody. Aristocats was booked but knew about the SpellBound with Capt. Winston Nimms. Cost 100 a day which included drinks and lunch per person. I e-mailed ok and then didn't hear back from Aristocat until the day we were leaving. I heard from Capt.Nimms 4 am on the day of the cruise. Oh yeah learned Chip was booked on the other ship. He had given them his credit card no. and was afraid to cancel. Nimms said he would meet us at the main gate at 8;30. Chip began to worry because he never got a written confirmation. So he met with cruise staff to get directions to Petouche's pier...he was provided wrong information from the cruise staff. Wow was a master mess up. Chip went to the wrong address on the other side of the island The cab cost him 60 dollars (roundtrip). No Petouche pier. He had try calling and got an answer machine. When he finally got a hold of them they told him that thet lost his reservation info. This gets sadder. We are meanwhile standing in the hot sun looking for the Captain. We found another family also looking for the good Captain who told them that he'd meet them outside the main gate as well. We asked others if they knew the Capt....nope. But then we heard that he left a message with Sam. It's now 9;15 and I need to sit and Ron's wife is looking for the bathroom. Found a wooden shed with steps that was the bathroom. It didn't look promising but turned out to be ok. Well Ron (who admitted that he reads the boards but doesn't comment) walked to the end of the long driveway. Was told that Sam would be meeting us at the INterNet Cafe which was at the main gate. You see the place the pier ends is not the main gate and the Capt. was at the main gate at 8:30 and gave up on us. Sam comes in a van taxi. We pile in for a 15 min. ride and learned it would be 4 dollars a person. This was not mentioned in our arrangement. So we are finally on our way and poor Chip is returning from his wrong way cab ride. We missed each other by 5 minutes. All other tours were booked so they were very dissappointed and I still feel so guilty. We had plenty of room on our sailboat.

 

Once we got to the sailboat we had to wait about 15 min. because the Capt. was cleaning the boat. A couple from Pa. that were staying in Tortola joined us. We discussed where we should go given our limited time. It was about 11. We went with Virgin Gorda/Baths. So 12 passengers and the Captain sailed off with full motor as well to the Virgin Gorda. The Captain had said he needed two volunteers to swop the deck. We all laughed thinking he was kidding...not. Dave did the job. We would stop at a Deli to pick up the lunch. I sat in a front bow side chair on the port side. Ed had helped me there and I sat until we hit land. My knees and size require that I stay put or fall down. I loved it. I called it my Titanic chair. The wind blew in my face and the sun bathed me in it's warm finger rays. The kids enjoyed laying on the mat and getting their faces wet. Ann Marie even fell asleep while sun bathing. Dave and Ed stayed out of the sun. The Captain let 12 yr. old Mike pilot the boat. Dan read. Ron was everywhere. He was piloting the boat and acting as the Captain's mate. By the way we didn't have a first mate so the guys did have to help with docking, letting out the sails etc. When we docked for the deli the boat hit the pier and I noticed a nasty scratch from that bump. Capt. Nimms told us to go in the back of the store to get whatever we wanted but recommended that we get salads. We all walked around the building. wrong....he meant go into the store and walk to the side back. As typical Americans we ordered sandwhich's and picked out chips. Ate on the boat and then onto the Baths.

 

The weather was perfect with 2 brief tropical cooling showers. The waves behaved themselves and made our sailing experience an ultimate joy. At the Baths 1/2 went in on the Dingy and the other 1/2 snorkled into the beach. I tried the dingy but I couldn't manage so I snorkled in. As you get close to the rocks...lots of fish. Also under the boats. Dave and his sons went into the caves and had a blast. The beach has a steep rocky incline so I couldn't beach. Snorkled back to the ship..burned some calories that day. Ed had really encouraged me to use fins because I would have more power. I finally agreed. Big Mistake. My tender skin is still crying-9 days later. The fins burned the top of my feet. Doctor said it could have been rubber or chemicals. I walked thru Reagan Airport last Monday barefoot. Not only were my feet an angry hot red but they couldn't fit into any of my shoes! Enough of my feet, back to the sail. It's time to leave and the winds were such that the Captain was worried that we wouldn't get back in time. We told him 5 because his sense of time seemed to be more like my sisters. Ship was leaving at 5:30. Good move on our part. He decided to drop us off closer to the ship. We had a good mile to walk to catch our ship. I got off first walking thru waterfront resturants and rocky pavement. My dear hubby worried that I'd either become overheated or not make it with bad knees asked a man driving a scooter car filled with supplies if he's give me a ride to the pier. He wasn't a taxi but said he loved to help. I jumped in and took our heavy bag of beach and snorkling gear. The rest moved quickly under Ed's watchful eyes. I gave the man 5 dollars not even realizing he wasn't a taxi. I was a little out of it from the rush of activities. He kept saying it wasn't necessary. Everyone made it in one piece.

 

Well I'll end this later. Right now we are having a nasty nor'eastner and rain is blowing in our front balcony door. We live on the Atlantic Ocean

OCPAT

[OC PAT]

Chip and Karen dealt with their disappointment by going to the spa. They had a nice time but still felt a little blue.

 

That evening we saw the magician/comedian. He was very entertaining and good.

 

Went to bed right after the show and was woke by Ralph around 2 am. Ed was ralphing it big time. If I hear someone getting sick I will join them. The bathroom wasn't big enough for the 2 of us so I was running to our veranda every time he was running to the bathroom (so I wouldn't hear}. He felt so bad but kept saying I don't have a head ache. I've yet to figure what that has to do with anything. I left the cabin around 8 and had breakfast in the dining room. The priest for this cruise was at the table. He is retired and from the New York area. He was a bit upset because he was being told at the last minute where the daily mass would be. I confirmed he'd be doing a Saturday mass and that he was not interested in a sunrise mass on Easter Sunday. Went to the library-all hard back books. They had an ongoing puzzle that I fooled with for an hour. Window shopped and then checked on Ed. He was still vomiting and now had the fast fast trots. He said he was afraid he wouldn't make it to the infirmiry so I went. Spoke with the nurse who decided he may have the Norwalk virus. We had to be isolated in our cabin for 24 hrs. Yes, I said we. Well Ed wasn't going anywhere but party Patty had her wings clipped. Did buy a book and adminstered to Ed. Tried to get fluids in him thru room service. They had beef broth but no chicken noodle soup. Had my lobster in the cabin as the sun was setting. Couldn't get a good picture of the sunset from the balcony so I took a picture of the view the tv gives you.. The nurse called several times to see how we were doing. The customer service office also called. Said that they maybe able to give us a finanicial day's credit if I stayed in the room. No one was standing guard. Our poor cabin boy couldn't figure out what was going on. His English is limited and comprehension even less.. We did get a 313 dollar credit. Ed said he would have rather had a healthy day. I never did get sick.

 

Meanwhile the family was enjoying the ship. Chip won 2 of the 4 Bingo games. He also won at roulet. Showed Ann Marie how to play and won again. Danny continued to play basketball and read. Mike was terrorizing bar tenders for cherries. I found the casino to be smaller, less noisy and less smokey than previous cruise ships. It wasn't any kinder to me with it's slot machines. I play the quarter games. We donated about 50 dollars. Did you know if you ask for the tokens using your key card there's a small service charge? Now, that's nickle diming the passengers.

 

Ed began to feel a little better around 5 am Sat. Morning. Ordered him a turkey sandwhich from room service. He felt he would join us at the Cabanna later that day on Half Moon.

 

Made arrangement for Danny to help me carry the beach bag. So he meets me at the room and we preceed to disembark. When we get to the deck to get off, Ann Marie has disappeared. She went to get us! Don't ask....we tendered off with no problem. We arrived on the island, went to the info. booth and they had an open air bus to take us close to where our turquoise Cabanna was. Well time for some chores..maybe the final words tommorow.

OC Pat

[OC PAT]

Yes, splurge and get the Cabanna. We had 4 regularly comfortable chairs, round table, 2 lounges, snorkling gear, a blue mat, refrig. with tiny freezor, cabinets to store all our gear, sodas, dips and chips, 2 misters, private shower, ceiling fan and an air condition. Very comfortable and made nice by Alex, our cabanna boy. He is 29 supporting his mom and 2 brothers. Dad died 3 yrs. ago. He was very pleasant and wanting to be ever so helpful. He did bring our first plates of bar-b-que. chicken, ribs and mahi-mahi. Then the boss man said he was only suppose to do so if we had the private butler package. Alex was a bit confused because in the past this was not a problem. We decided it depended on who was the kitchen manager on the island that day as to what can and can not be done. Alex is on the bar staff on the ship. The weather was perfect. The tenders were easy. Chip and Karen did the par-sailing for the first and enjoyed it. They also swam with the sting rays. I sat in my cabanna feeling my dad's presence all around me. I know he would have loved this cabanna and pretty island. Did go in the water..little cool but pleasant. Ann Marie's family did some snorkling. She just loved feeding the fish because they swormed her. Danny found the basketball court and sun bathed. Mike walked the shore and felt the water park was too young for his 12 1/2 yr. old self.. Ed came around 12 and left at 1. The walk was too much for his worn out self. He's not use to getting sick and whatever he had just wiped him out. The food was excellent and served right behind our turquoise cabanna. Only bump was they ran out of ice. Alex said it was the first time he has ever seen that happen. We were real happy that our soda was in the refrigator.. When we first got on the ship there was a form to complete to pick what sodas we wanted. I was real happy to get can club soda. Did tip Alex for such good service. We did not want to leave. People lined up to board the tenders...line was 200 people long. It moved fast but lines are avoided by this family. We sat in the covered seating area until there's was no line,,,ended up we were on the last tender. Great day.

 

Hurried off the tender, changed, checked Ed ...still alive and onto the Snowball Bingo at 4:15 PM. No shoes..feet were very swollen. Just as they started to call, Chip arrived and got the last cards. After 10 minutes Ann Marie arrived. Explained she missed out so she helped Chip. Lady behind me won over 3 thousand dollars. We hadn't planned on meeting for Bingo so it was real funny that just the 3 kids ended sitting together with no spouses.

 

Game ended a little late to the dismay of the good Father. Mass was to begin in the Lido Lounge as well. He said his idea of Hell is Bingo. So I attended mass in shorts and no shoes for Easter.. Many were dressed nicely but I don't think God was upset with my dress.

 

Went down to the cabin and changed for dinner. Ed joined us. Ann Marie had told me they weren't coming but who should arrive 10 minutes late but Danny and Dave. Dan had heard there was shrimp on the menu so they came. Ann Marie arrived 5 minutes later. She was shocked they were going so she changed and joined us. Our poor waiter never complained.

 

Went back to the cabin and packed. I didn't yell at Ed like I usually do when it comes to this time. I think it was because there was more room to get the job done. All packed by 9. Ed went to bed and I went shopping. Bought a pretty silver neckless, cigar for brother Steve who was our driver to and from the airport and rum cakes for others. Spent the last of our tokens in the slots and bumped into Ann Marie. We decided to have a final drink together in the lounge and who do we find but our cabanna boy Alex. He was delighted to wait on us. Just as we finshed our drink Dave showed up, he had finshed packing , taken a nap and was ready to play. Ann Marie couldn't understand why she had to pack the night before so Dave did it.

 

Back to the cabin and final night's rest. 5 am Ed wakes me to tell me Ralph has returned. I never went back to sleep but he did some. I went to breakfast in the dining room and ended up sitting with myself. Lines getting off were a little slow but ok once you entered the terminial. We were all seperated and were meeting at the Radisson where we would be spending Sunday night. Luggage was just a little difficult to find. Chip's had one piece seperated because a bottle of booze broke. I had told Karen that some people pack in plastic to avoid wrinkles. Well she packed everything in plastic-going and coming. Good thing..booze didn't get anything but dad's old suitcase wet. Dave thought he had all his luggage but thought maybe not. Didn't see any of their bags so he left. One was still there and he had to return that afternoon to pick it up I didn't ask about their logic. One learns.

 

Ed was feeling not so great and hadn't eaten. We were there by 10. We all arrived within 5 minutes of each other. Just our luck 3 rooms were ready. Others had to wait until 3. Ed spent the day in bed while I explored via the 5 dollar a day water taxi.

 

Our cruise was an excellent adventure for everyone. It's fitting that I end this commentary on the aniversary of my dad's death. Writing this has helped me thru this difficult day. The passing of our Pope has heightened everyones emotions as well. The memories will always be with us and I know daddy was with us on this cruise with my beloved mother.

 

Please feel free to ask any questions.

OC Pat