My Allure Trip Journal- 5/27/12: There IS No Reader's Digest Version!

[OklaCruiserMom]

Thanks again, so very much, for all the praise and encouraging words about my review. I really am having a lot of fun reliving it. I promise it will have actual trip pictures before the end, but my little sister is getting married this weekend, AND The Queen of Single Life (that's me) actually has a date with an OLD friend while I'm in town for Little Sis's wedding (a guy I had a crush on for my entire junior-high and high school career, but we've renewed our friendship in the last couple of years and he's now getting a divorce, (NOT because of me- his wife just told him she wanted out) so we're going to get together and catch up. I'm so excited! :eek::D;),) so it will likely be one day early next week before I get them up. ETA: I literally haven't seen this guy in person in about 20 years! (((nervous)))

 

Just wanted to address these two comments specifically:

 

I know you have many complements going here.....and i just have to add in that this is BY FAR the best and most real review i have read thus far!

 

I too went on the ALLURE with 3 other kids and myself....2 were mine and one a friend of DD's.......different perspective not necessarily having other "adult" conversation for 7 days!.....in fact, the freaking elevators were filled with non English speaking travelers and i felt all alone at times :(

 

You are so fun to follow and i thank u for taking the time and detail!

 

Cheers!

 

Thank you so much! I too felt somewhat alone at times, even though my kids and I usually have a good time together, and spending time with them was the purpose of the trip. There were times when I'd wonder what else was going on around the ship that I might be missing out on because I was hanging with Small People. A friend of mine kept telling me she was praying that I'd meet Mr. Right on the cruise, but I was pretty sure a single mom with three kids who were frequently a handful was not going to have guys lined up around the deck, you know?

 

As an aside, elevator rides were always amusing, such a tiny little microcosm of multi-cultural experience!

 

 

 

This is my first time posting on this board, though I have been lurking for months.

Such a great review. You sound like an awesome mom to me, with a very full plate. Any mom who would take her 3 kids on the biggest ship in the world, by herself, even though those said kids might be a bit of a challenge from time to time and even tough she might not have the best sense of direction, which would cause many people not to ever travel alone, and for the sake of her kids put herself in a situation that may temporarily derail her weight watchers journey. That mom gets an A+ in my book, in case your interested!!

Can't wait for the rest.

 

Wow, I'm honored that after months of lurking, you chose to respond to me! Thanks so much for your encouragement and support! I'm finally at a place where I pretty much like who I am, but you guys make me sound like a rock star! Lol!

 

*

 

Thanks again for all the kind words, everybody. Stay tuned... :)

Edited June 8, 2012 by OklaCruiserMom

[jarz85]

Thanks for the pic, your kids look great, and certainly don't look like red necks! May I ask which is daughter J and which is S? I'm fairly sure I can work out which one 'the boy' is!

 

Just wondering what you guys did in St Maarten? I can't wait to go there next year and see the planes

[ragen]

Feel Like I'm almost there with you, I will be trying the allure in about 6 months, can't wait to read more!:)

[OklaCruiserMom]

Thanks for the pic, your kids look great, and certainly don't look like red necks! May I ask which is daughter J and which is S? I'm fairly sure I can work out which one 'the boy' is!

 

Just wondering what you guys did in St Maarten? I can't wait to go there next year and see the planes

 

Jasmine is the blond and Shannon is the brunette.

 

We toured St. Maarten with Bernard's tours. It gave us fairly brief stops at both Orient and Maho beaches.

[StlGal]

Great review! I'm having a wonderful time reading it! Keep it coming!!!

[rutgersgirl27]

Love this review, thank you so much for sharing your adventure. Can't wait to read more!

 

Your family is beautiful, by the way!

[OklaCruiserMom]

*

*

We had signed up for the character breakfasts for each of the three sea days, so we got up around 7:00 and got dressed and headed upstairs. Here is where Moron Moment # 2 (I originally called them Jacka$$ Moments) occurred. Now before I explain this, I have to say that I have seen a lot of discussion on the CC boards about whether people are more rude than they used to be, or whether people do rude things intentionally or what. Well, if they are ANYTHING like me- maybe they would never mean to be rude, they’re just completely clueless. Maybe they’re a small-town goofball who goes around with their head in a bubble. We just never know, but here’s what the kids and I did: We were heading up the stairs to the Character Breakfast, which was held on Deck 4 of the MDR. We were only one deck below, so we took the stairs. We rounded the corner and saw a herd of people heading that direction so we joined them. We got through the main outer doors and formed a line at the desk nearest the inner door, and I began to dimly realize, standing there with these three teenage girls behind us who seemed somewhat disgruntled and listening to them talk, that the herd of people we joined was not just a large group of people all arriving at the same place at the same time, as I had assumed. Instead, they had actually been a bunch of people standing in a line waiting for the outer doors to be opened, which had just happened shortly before we rounded the corner! Then one of these girls, as I moved ahead, touched my arm and said “Excuse me, we’ve been standing in line, so…” and feeling like a COMPLETE idiot, I said “Oh, sure, sorry, go ahead.” And pulled the kids back a couple of steps, mumbling to them under my breath that we had just jumped in the middle of a line of people! Forgive me, but I didn’t go any further back in the line, because I had no idea where it would have ended, and I figured what was done, was done. That definitely doesn’t mean I didn’t feel like a complete schmuck!

*

So we were seated in a table right by a window, which was super awesome for us, given where our dinner table was situated (right by the entrance, if you recall, and nowhere near such a cool view as the one we now breakfasted with). We were given menus, etc. And the first thing that they brought around without us even requesting it, was a tray of chocolate pastries, of which I think I ate more than I care to admit here. Then I had an omelet, hash browns, sausage, and English muffin, plus coffee with cream, and some orange juice. It was all very good. The characters for the first breakfast were Shrek, Puss In Boots, and Fiona. They brought them in one at a time, spaced far enough apart that they didn’t create a traffic jam. Also, at the beginning of the breakfast, I think there was some singing and dancing by the wait staff.

*

Ok, I know it seems like I’ve talked a lot about Daughter S., but this one is about her too. I knew Daughter J. liked the characters. Ok, loved and obsessed over them. But I was not at all savvy to the fact that Daughter S. had a weakness for one particular character- Puss in Boots! When he came in, I was shocked, shocked I tell you, to discover that she almost teared up a little! :eek: We took pictures with all the characters (this is a ‘bring your own camera’ event, if you’re interested) and we finished and left. The girls went back to the room, and The Boy and I took another exploring tour. We saw the library and the chapel, and went back to Central Park. I’m not sure exactly why I did this, having had breakfast not too long before, but for some reason I ate an apple and a yogurt parfait in Park Café.

*

After a while, we went and woke the girls up for the parade. We got there a little late, and had a really lousy spot all the way at the end of the promenade, almost in the elevator hall. There were very few performers and even fewer characters who made it all the way down to our spot. Daughter J. caught a glimpse of Hiccup, from How to Train Your Dragon, about halfway down the Promenade. I tried to convince her in the moment, that the characters would go ahead and come down our way in a minute, but I was wrong. The parade ended, and J. was heartbroken. Heartbroken. We were scheduled to go to the Meet N Mingle and we were running late, so we didn’t have time to really deal with much at the time. I’m afraid I was probably not very sympathetic- I think I was kind of grouching at her not to be so sensitive or telling her she’d still have other chances to see him, etc. This was one of those occasions I wish I could go back and re-do. Not a possibility, obviously.

*

So we slipped into M&M when it was probably almost over. Took our gifts up to the stage when I went to go claim ours, and felt like a schmuck again. My gifts seemed a little small and boring compared to the rest, and to whoever got them- I apologize! When the M&M ended, Daughter J. was still so upset, she wanted me to go talk to Guest Services about the possibility of getting a Meet and Greet with Hiccup. So I went and talked to them. I explained her delays and disabilities, and told them how the ONLY thing she cared about really, on this whole trip, was getting to meet Hiccup. So the first girl I talked to said she would make a couple of phone calls and see what she could do. No, actually, she said she would email the DreamWorks coordinator and see if they could set something up. I didn’t have much hope, but I promised Daughter J. that no matter what we had to do, we would at least go to the ice show and we would stake out a better spot for the next parade, and we moved on with our day.

*

Then we went and checked on how full the next skating session would be, because we wanted to try it. The kids had never ice skated, and the last time I did it was when I was about 10. They told us when to come back, and we went to Mystery Matinee in the Adventure Ocean theater. I had signed up The Boy on the first day, just in case, but somehow we never ended up sending him to any of their events, which I really regret. He was very interested in the science lab, and wanting to blow things up, ;) and I’ve read one review since I’ve been home, that said their 11-y.o. did a lot of science stuff. I was just worried that he would get in one of his moods and make a yutz of himself and get sent back to the room. This is one of those things I’m struggling to let go of and call it good, because any future cruises we may take, he’ll be too old for that stuff. :(

*

Anyway, I didn’t know what Mystery Matinee was, but it turned out that it was basically just a surprise DreamWorks movie. In this case it was Madagascar 2. We got in and sat down, and I really wanted to leave almost immediately, but again, didn’t want to climb over anybody, and I thought watching a movie would take J’s mind off the Hiccup situation, so we stayed. When it was over, we went to the WJ buffet. I had a turkey burger, which was really good, and something I thought was supposed to be Waldorf salad, but it was pretty unsatisfying. It tasted too mayonnaise-y. But I also had some melon and tried a few bites of a couple of different desserts- white chocolate mousse, cappuccino pie, and roulade? (Something with layers of cake and creamy stuff, chocolate.) Those were all good.

*

After lunch we went to the Flash Mob dance class, (Daughter S. and I were the only ones of our family who wanted to do it, but we pretty much sucked). And then we tried ice skating. It was kind of a disaster. J. wouldn’t even try it, and The Boy…, oh boy! He tried it and kept flopping his ankles over and struggling, and he got in one of his moods and had a massive meltdown. Unfortunately, I wasn’t very sympathetic to this one either. I was doing a pitiful job of dealing with him- either to console, encourage, discipline… All I could do was keep him reasonably quiet by hissing dire threats if he didn’t knock it off immediately, until we could get the heck out of there! We went straight to the room for a MUCH needed time out (for ALL of us) and I paid for a movie on stateroom TV to give us all some downtime. (Also gave The Boy a half dose of a couple of his meds, hoping that would help.)

*

After a while, we went to dinner. And just now re-reading my journal, I realize I gave the wrong menu for what I ate on Formal night. I ate that on this night. Guess I got that part all out of whack. But on this night, the food was good. The girls left early and went to the room, and The Boy and I stayed and had dessert. I’m glad I did, because the waiters did their dancing, singing, napkin-waving thing and sang O Solo Mio. Here was another of the more poignant moments of the trip. I was watching these men and women, up there trying so hard to entertain a bunch of people whose lives are so far removed from their own, the difference must seem incredible. I was looking at them, seeing their smiling faces, thinking about how hard they all work, and finding them so... beautiful all of a sudden. I wanted to cry, and in fact almost did. I’m tearing up again right now, just relating it.

*

We finished dinner and left, and the next adventure contains yet another Moron Moment. Or maybe a couple, depending on your perspective, but I’ve got to cut it short for now. More on this as soon as I can!

Thanks again for reading!

J

[Sooner-b-Crusin]

LOVE

THIS

!!!! REVIEW !!!

I'm an "Okie" transplanted in Georgia. I've even been to Lone Grove!! Really. My first husband was born and raised in Hobart. I grew up in Davenport (midway between OKC & Tulsa).

I can't wait for the next "chapter".. We are definately living this cruise with you.



Thank you so much for sharing with us.:D

[Familygoboston]

 

They are simply gorgeous with out a stitch of makeup!! As I tell my almost 18 yo, you are young and dewey- enjoy it while you can:rolleyes:. I have at least 10 years on you, so you may not know what I'm talking about yet;):p

 

:

 

Thank you so much! I too felt somewhat alone at times, even though my kids and I usually have a good time together, and spending time with them was the purpose of the trip. There were times when I'd wonder what else was going on around the ship that I might be missing out on because I was hanging with Small People. A friend of mine kept telling me she was praying that I'd meet Mr. Right on the cruise, but I was pretty sure a single mom with three kids who were frequently a handful was not going to have guys lined up around the deck, you know?

You know it's funny, I went on a crusie recently without my DH (it was mom and the girls) Mom would hit the casino- penny slots, (I say better to hit the change machine; at least you come out even:p,) and the girls went off to the teen club in the evening, and I had that same experience. Sort of lonely wandering around wondering if I was missing out on some great scene somewhere. I met people, but most of them were couples, and even groups of couples it felt weird to me to just walk over with my rum swizzle and say " hey"! It made me realize how thankful I am ( again) for DH and how much fun we have on board together. Also it will make me reach out a bit more to ladies like you we see on board in the future!

First time I've read a review in a while with some good belly laughs...thanks I love that!

[baggal]

Having lived in New York City and suburban New Jersey for my entire life, I consider your "Moron Moments" as everyday occurrences. Sometimes I'm on the offending side (although not on purpose) and more often I'm on the receiving side. But I shrug it off and let it go.

 

Just a few weeks ago I was in NYC (it was Fleet Week) and everyone was SO NICE (even when I paid for two sodas with dollar coins that I had gotten as change from the train ticket machine - I was expecting an argument) that I felt I was in a parallel NYC universe.

 

Don't be so hard on yourself - you tried your best - stuff happens.

[Greek50]

Awesome review-you are an incredible writer-keep it coming-beautiful family as well!

[Batgirl2]

Beautiful family and awesome review! We'll be there in a month and are so excited! Keep posting (after you get back from your dream date!!).

[scoob2010]

Thanks for your detailed posting.

 

We are looking at trying the Allure for the first time next year and this helps.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Enjoying your review! I love your writing style!

 

Your kids are adorable!! :)

 

***

[OklaCruiserMom]

Thank you all so much, everybody! Believe it or not, I still have a couple of Moron Moments to share, but I guess I can just chalk them up to inexperience and inattention rather than some deep and irreparable character flaw, right? :)

 

Hey, Sooner!! :) Small world, huh?

 

We're in OKC in a hotel room, chilling out after the rehearsal and lunch for my little sister's wedding tomorrow at 2. Daughter J. was completely wiped out- she went straight from the airport on the way home to church camp for a week. She's napping, and I'm here! :D Going to try to start writing the next part. ...

[OklaCruiserMom]

*

*

So after the wait staff finished their performance and The Boy finished his chocolate ice cream, we went to Guest Services and cashed a couple of Traveler's Checks. (I cruised on a cash account, never had to put up a deposit, cashed TCs throughout the week at Guest Services with absolutely zero fees or hassle, if you're interested.) Then The Boy noticed that the Rising Tide was down, and he wanted to ride. Here is what could be considered a Moron Moment, taking your 11 yo in a "bar" but it was more of a giant elevator to him. Well, I ordered him a soda, and I decided to try something called a Japanese Collins. Well, let me tell ya, that thing was STRONG! Even on a full stomach, I was buzzing hard on just ONE!! We rode the RT and left it when it came back down, and I think I can blame the next Moron Moment on the Collins!

 

*

 

We were walking down the Promenade and I noticed again the little red car. I thought I hadn't taken his picture with it yet, and asked him if he wanted a picture with it, and he said sure, so we walked over. There was a couple standing near the end of it, with their arms around each other, and I thought they were just standing there talking. So Adam posed, I snapped his picture, and right about then, I noticed there was a photographer on the other side of that couple!! :eek: We had totally jumped right in the middle of their photo shoot, and of course, right about then some guy walks by and goes "You know, they tryin' to take a photograph!" And I just went, "Oh, sorry, I didn't see." And walked away as quickly as I could, again feeling like a total jerk. I was so embarrassed! It really put me in a bad mood and all I wanted was to go to the room and hide, but when we got there, the attendant was in the middle of turndown. He said the girls had gone to the pool deck, so The Boy changed real fast, I dragged myself up to the pool deck, and sat there and commiserated with Daughter S. about what had happened. After a while, we returned to the room and the kids were chilling, and I was journaling, trying to reflect on how tunnel-visioned it can make you when you're focused only on your child and making and preserving memories. I wanted to blame it on the "busy" atmosphere of the Promenade, how they've got all the little booths and things, and photographers always set up all over the place, but the truth is, I'm probably just extraordinarily unobservant. It didn't help that I felt about half-drunk. That totally added to the feeling stupid and like a horrible parent, because I was dragging my child around with me when I felt so buzzy. I mean, HE had no idea, but still. :o So if you were the people The Boy and I photobombed, we're really sorry!!! Totally didn't mean to!

 

*

 

Short post this time. Up next: 2nd Port stop- St. Thomas, USVI

[Sooner-b-Crusin]

Oh my honey, don't even worry about that little photo bomb. YOu know what happened, when you walked away that photographer took a zillion more pics of the couple and they didn't give it another thought.;)

 

I totally admire you for taking your 3 kiddos on a cruise. I'm very challenged when it comes to finding my way around, my kids (all grown) tease me about it all the time.

 

Can't wait to read the rest of your "journal".... you have a natural talent !!!!

 

Pat

[OklaCruiserMom]

*

*

Second port stop- St. Thomas!

 

We were scheduled to see St. Thomas via Sunny Liston Tours. I had seen review for them here, looked them up elsewhere, and booked them several months back. (I think I paid a $40 deposit through PayPal at booking, and the balance in cash on tour day, if you're interested.) I woke up early this morning, expecting to already be there, but we weren't even docked yet. The Boy woke up early with me, and we went up to the pool deck, originally intending to watch the sunrise, but discovered it was already up. We had fun walking in the wind and pretending we were flying. I wanted to try the Solarium Bistro for breakfast, but it wasn't quite open yet, so we went ahead and went to the WJ. Between the two of us, we had most of the typical breakfast stuff- eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy. For some reason, The Boy found cottage cheese appealing this morning, too. There's never any telling, with him.

 

*

 

We went to get the girls up and ready, and I thought we were running out of time, so I was going to make them just grab something from Promenade Cafe. All I saw were the donuts and pastries, and although I knew that wouldn't make for a very filling, long lasting breakfast, I thought that was all we had time for, and I made them just grab a selection and eat. Daughter J. was particularly unhappy about this, as we had told her that we had been to the WJ and she thought they were going too. But when we tried to head for the Gangway, they said it would be another 20 minutes or so, so we zipped back up the the WJ so the girls could have something more substantial for breakfast.

 

*

 

In between there, I also made a couple of trips back to the room, being the thoroughly organized person that I am, (not this morning, apparently) and then The Boy decided to spend 15 minutes in the bathroom, and FINALLY we got off the ship! I think it was about 20 minutes past the time we were supposed to have been meeting our driver outside the gate, so I was panicking a little, even though I had called him when we were in the WJ to tell him I thought we were docking a little later, and we'd be late getting off the ship. He said they'd be right there waiting. Ahh, reassurance!

 

*

 

We were working our way through the crowds, and I spotted the right sign, and he pointed us to the open air tour bus. We climbed on, and I think we were the last ones. The other folks probably wanted to choke us, but thankfully nobody tried. The first segment of the tour was shopping time. We went to and area near Emancipation Park. There were a lot of shops, but there was also the flea market there, with 50 tables with the same stuff. We went around and around, looking at things and trying to decide if we wanted anything. I would have liked to buy a beach bag set that came with a little wallet and a matching wrap, but I ended up with several t-shirts, a bracelet for Daughter J.'s best friend, a wooden flute for The Boy, and a wrap for Daughter S.

 

*

 

Then we thought it was time for us to go, but we had read our watch wrong, and we still had an hour!! So we sat in Emancipation park and just rested and watched the people around us. Soon, the driver came back and we piled on, and the fun part began! He started the music and the bouncy driving, and started pointing out areas of interest, etc. He took us to a couple of great photo stops- vantage points to see the island and take pictures. We also went to the Mountaintop Rum Factory, I think it was called, which was alleged to be the Home of the World Famous Banana Daquiri. Now, you would think I would have learned my lesson after the Japanese Collins incident, but I'm apparently a little slow on the uptake. We bought a few more souvenirs here, and I purchased a Beverage.

 

*

 

Up to this point, The Boy had been being a little cranky and negative and argumentative, but after my Banana Daquiri, I didn't mind it so much. :D My head was a little spinny again, but the ride was a little more fun and the kids were a little less aggravating, and all was right with the world for a while. Finally, it was time for our beach stop. Sunny gives everyone a chance to vote for which beach they wanted to go to, and everyone said they wanted Sapphire, which I was happy with, because that was the one I wanted, too!

 

*

 

Our first sight of a Carribean beach! It was sooo beautiful! The waves sounded so relaxing, and the palm trees were blowing... it was paradise. For a little while. The kids had brought two masks and one snorkel, and it was hard work making sure everyone was getting equal time. The Boy started getting mad again. I can't adequately explain how he is when this mood sets in. The tiniest little things infuriate him. The waves pushing against him, rocks in his toes, salt water in his mouth. The girls weren't sharing the snorkel enough. I was trying to keep him calm and help him to look around him and appreciate and enjoy the moment. It wasn't helping much. I tried to help him float on his back and just relax and breathe, and that worked for a little while, but I decided to get out of the sun for a bit and go sit under our tree, and he reverted right back to the horrible attitude. I don't know, maybe I should have taken him to the parking lot and spanked him, maybe I should have just made him get out of the water... I never know what's the right decision. Anyway. He wanted to kayak, and the one-person kayak seemed pretty reasonable ($10 for half an hour, if you're interested.) I was going to let him do it, and I thought he would probably be able to do it without much difficulty, because he has had canoe training at Camp Fire camp. But unfortunately the guy running the rentals decided in the end he'd rather not let The Boy do it alone if he wasn't 100% sure how to do it. And of course, that made things a bit worse.

 

*

 

So now, thankfully, it was getting close to time to go, and I was desperate to get away from this group of women sitting near me, who, in my paranoid state, I felt sure were talking about me and what a terrible parent I must be. I got the girls out of the water and we went toward the parking lot. The Boy was being as difficult as ever, and there was another lady from our tour (CruiseGal, I think, who responded to one of my first posts in this thread) who said her son had some of the same problems as mine, and she knew exactly how I felt. She was so nice to me and I felt so thankful to know somebody else understood!! I was hoping to get to talk to her more later.

 

*

 

But we piled back on the tour bus, and even though Sunny played the music on the way back, and we did a little Woot, Woot to the Days of the Week song, it was a little more subdued ride back to the ship. Our hearts weren't quite in it, I think. We were sandy, soggy, and sunbaked, and I was feeling pretty overwhelmed at this point. Many cruisers would probably not believe that anyone could be thinking, "Thank God it's at least half over!" but I was. Especially after planning and looking forward to it for months and months, and living in fear that it would all go by too fast. Can you imagine?

 

*

 

But we got back on the ship and everybody showered. I spent a little time trying to contain the chaos in our room by reorganizing and re-folding some of the stuff in the cubbies. We went to dinner and I had the crab and noodle salad, Surf n Turf, and coconut creme brulee. I guess sometime after dinner, the kids and I separated and I ended up journaling on the top deck, because I was trying to decide whether to blow off our scheduled show for that night or stop writing and go get the kids. (The planned show for the evening was the Headliner show, the Texas Tenors, if you're interested.)

 

*

 

In the end, I decided to go get them and go to the show, because I figured I didn't come all this way to not do stuff I'd planned to do. Also, because anything had to be better than being alone with my negative thoughts. So finally we have a lighter moment, because the funniest thing happened on the way to the Headliner show! I can't remember the exact chain of events, but the kids and I missed each other somehow. I was trying to decide whether to go look for them in the room, or just wait for them at the theater, and they were going to go look for me on the pool deck. So I was in one of the glass elevators, and I think I was just making Elevator Small Talk with someone else in there, and I turned around... and what did I see, but my three kids in the glass elevator across from me, going in the opposite direction from me, with their hands on the glass and shocked looks on their faces when they spotted me in the other elevator! It was the funniest thing I'd ever seen, and it was such a relief to laugh!

 

*

 

So I went to the theater, and finally they showed up, and the show was just starting. With the assistance of a staff member, we found a place to sit and had to inconvenience some people to crawl over them, but we settled in and watched the Texas Tenors. Now, I didn't know exactly who they were yet. Then their show started, and it explained that they had been winners (or runners up?) on the reality show, America's Got Talent, a few years ago. They were these country-looking guys who seemed like they ought to be on the CMT Awards, but they were singing classical music! They also sang patriotic and folk music too, but I really enjoyed their show! They brought a lady passenger up on stage with them and sang to her, and made a big fuss over her. It was a lot of fun to watch! Then there was a big teary-eyed Pro-America moment when they sang God Bless the USA. All in all, I was really very glad I had not decided to blow off the show, because it was pretty enjoyable.

 

*

 

So we returned to the room, and shortly after, it was time to go to the Comedy Show. I have to tell you about our expectations for this show. Daughter S. has a great laugh. I mean, a really funny, really catchy laugh. We were hoping that her laugh wouldn't get us heckled by the comedians, in fact. (I was halfway hoping it would, actually!) Because I had been telling her for ages that if the comedian could make HER laugh, they'd have the whole room, because her laugh would crack everyone else up.

 

*

 

Well, as it turned out, we didn't have to worry about that, because it seemed that everybody appreciated these particular comedians, and there was a guy in the front row with a funnier laugh than hers, so I doubt anybody even noticed. But we thought they were really funny. (Gary DeLuna and Miguel Washington, if you're interested.) We drank Cokes and laughed through the whole show. (She hates Coca Cola, and was in Dr. Pepper withdrawal the whole time, but she always has to tell me how bad Coke is for you, because it eats pennies. She did an experiment one time where you put a penny in Coke overnight and in the morning it's just GONE. :eek:)

 

*

 

So after the show, I went to Guest Services and cashed another TC and checked again on the 'Daughter J. meeting Hiccup' situation, because we still hadn't heard anything from them and she was asking me about it every 5 minutes. This time, I talked to a man named Jorge, I think it was, and he said he would talk to the original lady I talked to, and one of them would definitely get back to us. I hoped maybe we'd get lucky. Then we went back to the room and got ready for St. Maarten.

 

*

 

Up Next: St. Maarten and Rita's Fiesta!

Edited June 9, 2012 by OklaCruiserMom

[newcrew42]

Love your review!

[TNcruiser829]

Great review. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

[Coolcruise02]

Love it, can't wait for more! :)

[pina colada in the shade]

I've never really wanted to post.

But, after reading your trip report I had to register and post.

You are the best mom and most considerate person ever.

If people were anywhere as aware of the feelings of others as you are and as dedicated to their kids as you are, the world would be a much better place.

 

I love your reports..."seeing each other in the glass elevators each going in opposite directions" and 'the boy's complaining not being as bothersome after the banana daquari' were hilarious. I'm not sure how things ended up yet but remember that as the years pass, all three of your kids will always remember this special trip with you whether or not it seemed like that by the end of the week or not

 

I include cmoose's post #47 below to show you how two people that have NEVER posted have now registered to tell you how wonderful you are : ) !!

 

This was from cmoose:

This is my first time posting on this board, though I have been lurking for months.

Such a great review. You sound like an awesome mom to me, with a very full plate. Any mom who would take her 3 kids on the biggest ship in the world, by herself, even though those said kids might be a bit of a challenge from time to time and even tough she might not have the best sense of direction, which would cause many people not to ever travel alone, and for the sake of her kids put herself in a situation that may temporarily derail her weight watchers journey. That mom gets an A+ in my book, in case your interested!!

Can't wait for the rest.

 

Ok, back to my post now - Don't beat yourself up over other people's reactions to what you perceive as a big mistake - all these things you've described are no big deal. You are aware of others and work hard to be nice to them , that's enough.

Great job on the trip reports

Great job on the kids

and great job as a person : )

[Ander026]

What a great review. This is one of the best reviews that I have seen in a while. I have attempted to do reviews of my past cruises but it does not come remotely close to what you have done with yours. Can't wait for the next installment.

 

Reading your review makes me remember my cruises with my family and my upcomming family cruises.

[westwingjazz]

I think you have encouraged me to ditch Carnival and book RC. My only concern is.....will my 19 and 17 yo have fun since they can't go to camp anymore. Did your young adults have activities to keep them busy? Thanks in advance for sharing...

[mslaabs]

Just found this thread today and spent the last hour reading it all. Really enjoying it so far and can't wait for the rest. Thanks for taking the time to put this all together.

 

Sheila