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

[sumo]

Loving your review and looking forward to the next part :)

[OklaCruiserMom]

Hello all… So sorry for the long absence. As I was saying…

So we’ve hit the last two full days. At this point in the experience, there begins to set in the tiniest feeling of panic. Time is running out, finally, and there is so much still to be done and experienced. And have I really had any time to just take a moment? Have I soaked in every possible memory? Have I done everything I could to make sure the kids were satisfied with their experience and would treasure their memories from this trip forever? I wasn’t sure, but oh well. Who has time for such navel-gazing when there’s characters to be dined with?

*

I had signed us up pre-cruise, for all three character breakfasts. We woke up on Friday morning and got ready. Well, Daughter J. and The Boy and I did. Daughter S. chose to sleep in. That’s basically her favorite thing in all the world, sleep. This breakfast we were visited by the Madagascar characters, Mort, King Julien, and Alex. This one felt like it was taking longer than the previous one, because they forgot to bring us our menus! They never brought us the character menu, and after a while, the waitress brought the regular breakfast menu around, and she was all, “You never said anything!” Kind of frantic-like. I just thought, ‘Yeah, ‘cause I didn’t realize we’d been forgotten, I just thought you were slow!’

*

So anyway, the kids had typical breakfast stuff, and I tried Eggs Benedict for the first time, which was pretty good. We had our pictures taken with all the characters. (Gloria was not a part of this breakfast, in case you’re interested. I assume it’s because she’s too big to maneuver through the tables easily.)

*

We returned to the room and Daughter S. woke up and went to the WJ for breakfast. (She had discovered a soft spot for the pastries.) I decided I wanted to take some Mom-Time (Hallelujah Chorus again). I wanted to experience the Solarium, so I took my little journal and went up. I wandered through the area, trying to decide on the best, most comfortable spot for journaling, resting, “relaxating”, and um… whatever else came to mind. I ended up in a pretty good spot, right in the middle of the upper deck, but after a short time there, I realized… it was stinkin’ hot up here! So I relocated to a semi-shady spot on the pool deck. I wrote for just a little while, and they were playing some fun music (Rhianna, Don’t Stop the Music, in case you’re interested.) So I just kind of closed my eyes and wiggled my little foot and tried to chill for a mo’.

*

Much too soon, I decided maybe I’d better go check on the kids and make sure they were getting ready to go to the all-important event: The first HTTYD ice show! We got there early, although there were already several people in line, and J. was freaking out, worrying that we wouldn’t get the seats she had been told by a cast member were the very best. (Cast Member- I sound like I’m at Disney. One of the people who had stopped by our table at breakfast was somehow involved with the ice show and told us which seats were near most of the action. This of course was vital information that J. took strictly to heart. J

*

But we got in, got the seats we wanted, and waited. The show itself was really good. The skaters were very much “in character” and the props and effects were wonderful. So, now the big moment. After the show was over, we looked around for someone to ask about the meeting with Hiccup. One of the tech people, I assume, was standing there sort of making sure everyone got out, and we talked to him and told him the story- how Guest Services had arranged a special meeting, etc. He made a quick call to the back and then said it was ok, and Hiccup would be right out. I think I was as nervous for Daughter J. as she was at this point. Needless to say, still cameras and video cameras were at the ready. I had assigned Daughter S. to roll video and I was on point with the digital. Incredibly, Daughter J. had her back to the rink when he skated out. I told her ‘Hey, look there…’ and pointed behind her, and she turned around…and there he was, right behind her. She just grinned bigger than Dallas and he reached out to give her a hug.

*

He was really sweet and friendly, asking her questions about how she was enjoying the cruise and what all we had done so far, etc. We took several pictures and he let her pose with his Viking weapons and shield. I tried to hurry her along at one point, because I knew he probably had limited time to rest between shows, but he acted like he had all the time in the world. He just could not have been more kind. Even so, the meeting only took a few minutes, maybe about 5 or 6, but Daughter J. was perfectly content. We said goodbye and watched as he disappeared back into the set.

*

After the Big Moment, it was off to the WJ for lunch and then back to the room. Daughter S. and I rested and napped, The Boy watched TV and Daughter J. went back to the second HTTYD show by herself! (This by the way, was a huge thing, because normally she’s very timid about going places and doing things on her own. I was proud of her.) She reported that she enjoyed the second show as much as the first, and that Hiccup had recognized her when he skated past, and waved at her, called her by name, and said hi. What a sweetie!

*

So then we all continued to rest some more. Why we didn’t go rest up on the pool deck in the sun with a buzzy frozen drink in our hand, I do NOT know. Maybe because of the A/C? Anyway. It was nice, and when I got up, I started trying to organize and pack a little. After some discussion and dithering back and forth on the issue, we blew off the second formal night and went to the WJ again for supper. I don’t know why I didn’t suggest going to Johnny Rockets on one of these occasions, because I had planned in my budget for us to try the place at some point, but it was one of those things we never got around to. Toward the end of the meal, the kids had all gotten up and were grouped around a 2-person table looking out of the window at the sea. ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight?’ from Lion King was playing on the speaker and the kids were all very still and quiet as they stood there, seeming lost in thought. I was hoping that they were reflecting on what a good time they had been having and how they would never forget this moment. ‘Cause I was.

*

After supper, The Boy was dying to swim, but first we sat on the top deck right behind the Solarium and watched the sunset. This was one of those things that became a Must-Do since I never woke up early enough to catch a sunrise. I wanted them to be able to, again, take a moment, maybe just think a little, just absorb the beauty and the experience.

*

Unfortunately, not all of their experiences had been so peachy keen. Daughter S. had a bad moment today when we were headed to lunch. I had wanted to try the Solarium for lunch, so we went there first and I checked out what they had and decided I’d take a plate and meet the kids in the WJ. They had to cross the pool deck to get there and the sun was so bright that Daughter S. had closed her eyes for a second or was rubbing them or something, and right when she opened them, she either bumped into some guy or he bumped into her. I guess she said sorry and he just made some impatient scoffing noise. She gets really upset at stuff like this, and she cried a little at lunch. She said she was never cruising again and I told her that could just as easily have happened at home in WalMart. She was of the opinion that if it had happened at home, the other guy would have said sorry too. She’s probably right.

*

But anyway. After we watched the sunset, The Boy got in the pool and the girls went to change. Now, remember when I talked about us meeting the guy at the towel station who was also an artist like Daughter S.? Here’s where we finally went back to see him and show him her artwork. We had been talking about it all week, feeling pretty bad that we hadn’t gone back yet, and she finally grabbed her notebook when she went up to change. After they got out of the pool, we went to his towel station. I walked up and said hey, and I could tell by the look on his face that he remembered exactly who we were, and he was also a little peeved. I shrank about 6 inches, but S. was right behind me, and we just said hi and that we hadn’t forgotten to come back and show him her art. He kind of thawed a little and was very nice to her as he looked through her notebook. (At some point in there, he also just happened to throw in that he had brought his own artwork back the next night, comprising some 200 drawings. Thanks for the guilt trip, Andres, but we deserved it.) He especially admired her wolves, which are her specialty, and gave her some constructive advice on how to make some parts better. They talked about the animation in some of their favorite games, and a few other things, and he told her to always keep drawing and improving, and we said goodbye.

*

At this point, we were running very late for Blue Planet. We ran back up to the room, threw on different clothes, and ran back down to the theater, which was full. The poor, beleaguered staff member at the door was under attack from some grumpy old guy who didn’t seem to understand that there WERE no seats left. The staffer said that since we had had reservations, he was under obligation to let us go in and look for seats, although he knew there were none, so we went ahead and went in, and the kids ended up sitting in the floor by the back wall while I alternated standing and leaning. I know this was probably a safety hazard, but what’s done is done. The show was totally awesome, although we would have enjoyed it much more if we’d gotten our butts there on time and got a good seat. I was surprised by this show, by the way. I guess I had always thought there was some storyline to this one too, but maybe I just didn’t read enough reviews or something, because it was just acrobatic and aerial performances set to a variety of music. But I very much enjoyed all the songs, so I was fine with it.

*

After the show we went to bed, and I was trying to compose a mental list of Absolute Must Dos for the next day, and I was also sort of pre-writing in my head what I hoped to journal on the flight home, summarizing the whole thing, what I’d learned etc. More later on how that turned out!

 

ETA: The lunch in the solarium was the best! I wish I'd eaten there more often throughout the week. Their wraps were super tasty and the asparagus was wonderful!

Up next… The Last Sea Day

Edited June 18, 2012 by OklaCruiserMom

[SailingSiren]

Thank you very much for this review. My future husband and I are taking our honeymoon on the Allure in October :D

 

I just have to say that you just seem so forgiving and kind in every bad situation you come up against in this cruise. I really admire that you just let things roll off your shoulders and try to focus on having a good time.

 

Speaking as a selfish person (I'm 24 with no kids...so I have an excuse right?), I have to say you have opened my eyes to how my actions (even something as small as scoffing when a kid runs into me, which I'm sure I've done without even thinking about it) can REALLY effect others. I hope to be more careful about those things in the future because, to me, you and your kids, of all people, deserve to have a good vacation!

 

Looking forward to the rest and hoping you and your family are well.

[OklaCruiserMom]

The Last Day Arrives!

After noting in the compass that the last character breakfast was supposed to be the Shrek family again, and thinking ‘Eh. We’ve seen ‘em…’ I decided to let the kids sleep in and I went up to the Solarium for breakfast. I had some turkey bacon and eggs, and no telling what else, probably a yogurt parfait. It was good, but…lonely. Here was one of those moments when I’d have given anything to have another adult along, especially a Significant Other to enjoy these moments with. (Lord willing, my next cruise will be with just such a person. I just have to find him first.)

*

But anyway. I left the Solarium and stopped at Boardwalk on the way back for coffee and a doughnut or two. (I know, I’m can’t even believe it myself.) I should have just found a convenient spot on the Boardwalk to sit and enjoy my post-breakfast snack, but for some reason I went all the way back to the room and ate them. In the dark. With the kids still asleep. Yeah, I’m beginning to wonder about me, too.

*

Then I remembered I wanted to get to the photo place and look over all our pictures. We had taken comparatively few, I knew, but I wanted to see what we had, especially from the one formal night. I decided the photo book for us was a good deal, because we only had about 30 ship’s photos and a lot of those were sort of duplicates. So I stood at the kiosk and made the picture book. (Which seemed to take for freakin’ ever! In case you’re interested.) But finally I chose to buy the photo book, the cruise DVD, and the picture frame deal, plus 4 other single prints. The photo book held almost every picture we had taken, and was $129 and the frame, dvd, and prints were $109. Yes, it was a relatively big expenditure altogether, but again… once in a lifetime, right? (Somewhere in this time period I also went to Guest Services again and got some cash for the tip envelopes.)

*

Returned to the room to find the Herd was awake, and J. was all insulted that I didn’t wake them up for the last character breakfast. She didn’t care that we had already seen Shrek and company. I explained to her (in so many words) that I had other stuff to do. Which in essence meant I was tired of wasting precious time sitting round waiting to hug people in costumes.

*

So we went to the WJ and they had breakfast. We followed that up with a little show in Adventure Ocean Theater called ImagineOcean. (This is a black-light show that is mostly geared toward very young kids, if you’re interested. But I had thought it would be entertaining for us and take up some time, and I was determined to see as much as possible. And it was a fun, cute little show.)

*

After ImagineOcean we went to Let You Entertain Me, where I had my first true Umbrella Drink of the cruise. From a pineapple, no less.

*

 

*

(Or so I thought. I think the ‘Searching For The Boy’ Strawberry Margarita had one in it.) Anyway, The Boy was terribly sleepy because he had missed his night meds the night before, and he was being a brat, so I gave him half a dose in the morning, and he was too sleepy to stand it, so I let him go back to the room by himself. The girls and I watched the show and went to the room to check on him. He was fine, and they stayed there while I went walking again and spending some more ‘on my own’ time. I walked the walking track, spent some time at the aft step-out off the track, peeked into the fitness room, and went to Park Café to get my last Roast Beef Sandwich (I’m telling you, this thing deserves to be capitalized.) Plus, I finally got to try a Create Your Own salad and I also got a strawberry mousse, which I didn’t realize until halfway back to the room, was not what I had pointed at! I had actually asked for one of those little puff-pastry sandwich-y looking things. Ah, well. Took it all back to the room and realized I’d forgotten to grab a fork. So I just had a Caveman moment and ate it with my fingers. (I know.)

*

Then I realized we’d almost forgotten the Cupcake Decorating class! We went upstairs for that. The Boy was in one of his moods and was pretty impatient with the whole process, and Daughter J. was running a close second! Admittedly, it was a little more involved than I expected, constructing that little cupcake just right. Also, the icing, while delicious, presented a bit of a problem, because it began to be pretty melty, pretty fast. The instructor tried to explain how to avoid this phenomenon- you simply hold the bag as little as possible, and when you must hold it, try to squeeze it only with the tips of your fingers. It didn’t really work as well in practice as in theory. Still, we enjoyed the fruits of our labors:

*

But it was fun, and after scarfing our deformed-looking cupcakes, we bought some sodas and went to the last show- Ice Games. This was very enjoyable. Especially the guest pairs skaters- I must have said ‘Wow!’ about 10 times during their routine. A couple of the lead male skaters (including the aforementioned skater who played Hiccup) were pulling off triple jumps (Yes, I used to be a big figure skating fan-nerd). They introduced them all by first names only after the show, and I had to Google when I got home to discover that Hiccup was Joey Russell, from Canada.

*

After Ice Games, the kids wanted Sorrento’s. I’m not sure you’d believe it, but this was only the second time, I think, that they had had pizza all week! There I was, thinking they’d be there every single day, especially after the missed opportunity to have pizza in Ft. Lauderdale, but they made a monkey out of me, as usual. So anyway, we went to Sorrento’s and it was my first time to try it. I created my own (ham, sausage, spinach, red onions, tomatoes, and mozzarella) and it was super good. Supper wasn’t too far off, and I knew we were going to the MDR for dinner in order to give Dalton and Silvestre our tips, so I saved half of my pizza to use for a post-packing late night snack. : ) Also stopped by the Cupcake Cupboard for one last cupcake for the same purpose. (It was a key lime, in case you’re interested.)

*

We returned to the room and I prepared the tip envelopes and worked on packing until supper. You may be wondering what, about packing, could possibly take so long. Well, there was also sorting, organizing, trashing, etc. taking place, and also, I roll everything. My little sister had turned me on to this whole ‘rolling’ methodology, and I’m definitely a devotee now, because if we hadn’t had the formal night stuff, could have fit everything we took in two large suitcases and one carry-on. Family of four. Eight days. That’s a lot of crap, people!

*

So finally we went to our last supper, so to speak, on the Allure of the Seas. The food was good (I had turkey and dressing. Wha…???) but I was so full I really couldn’t enjoy it that much. We gave our waiters their tip envelopes and said our goodbyes, and like other people have mentioned, I felt a little misty-eyed leaving the dining room. Daughter J. had taken off early in order to stake out or spot for the final character parade. We caught up with her and ended up right in the middle of the Promenade, next to the airbrush tattoo booth. We enjoyed the parade and Daughter J.’s final goodbye to Hiccup. Then we went to tackle yet another of our Must-Do’s at the last minute: Miniature Golf! Daughter S., The Boy, and I went up and got started, while J. went to the room to grab her swim stuff. When she got back, The Boy abandoned his golfing and went to swim. When S. and I were finished with our golf round (an achievement that was slowed considerably by the number of people who apparently also had the same idea) she joined them in the pool and I hurried back to the room to finish packing.

*

I had another minor Moron Moment during this time- I let the door shut when I stepped outside to stuff something else in one of the suitcases I had already set out! I looked around a few halls for a nearby stateroom attendant, didn’t find one, and then dithered about for a while, wondering whether to go all the way back to the pool deck and get one of the kids’ cards, but luckily for me, they returned before I had committed myself to that idea. So they changed clothes and THEN I found Desmond next door and gave him his tip envelope. He was really very nice. (We had had a towel bunny, a towel elephant, and a towel monkey, in case you’re interested. He had also tucked Daughter J.’s Goofy doll and The Boy’s Spyro the Dragon carefully into bed in one location or another every night.)

*

After carefully verifying that we had everything we would need for the next day, I put all the luggage outside the room well before 11 and we all crashed. I had ended up eating the pizza sometime in there, but the key lime cupcake ended up as a tart accompaniment to my WJ breakfast the next day.

*

Up next: Final morning, disembarkation, and the flight home.

Edited June 18, 2012 by OklaCruiserMom

[OklaCruiserMom]

Thank you very much for this review. My future husband and I are taking our honeymoon on the Allure in October :D

 

I just have to say that you just seem so forgiving and kind in every bad situation you come up against in this cruise. I really admire that you just let things roll off your shoulders and try to focus on having a good time.

 

Speaking as a selfish person (I'm 24 with no kids...so I have an excuse right?), I have to say you have opened my eyes to how my actions (even something as small as scoffing when a kid runs into me, which I'm sure I've done without even thinking about it) can REALLY effect others. I hope to be more careful about those things in the future because, to me, you and your kids, of all people, deserve to have a good vacation!

 

Looking forward to the rest and hoping you and your family are well.

 

Thank you for saying this! I am honored to have been a positive influence on you. :)

 

We are doing very well... I'll summarize that part at the very end.

 

Thanks again so much for reading! PS- VERY BEST of luck to you on your upcoming wedding and I hope you have a fantastic time on the Allure!

Edited June 18, 2012 by OklaCruiserMom

[islandgirls]

What a fabulous and human report! Will be on Allure starting this Sunday and can't wait!

[OklaCruiserMom]

Hello again. Nearing the end... : (

 

I let the kids sleep in as long as I dared, and we went to the WJ for breakfast. (This part is totally pathetic, but we were all tickled pink to be back in the US where we could use our phones! All three of us girls had 'em whipped out and were texting like mad over our eggs and danishes! LOL!) My mom had already been up and watching the webcam and marveling again about how big the ship is. I have a picture of Daughter S. with a whole muffin stuck in her mouth like a roasted pig with an apple, but it's on the one memory card I haven't managed to upload yet- the micro one from my phone.

 

 

*

 

After breakfast we consulted the oh-so-convenient digital signage that tells you where you are to wait for your number to be called to leave the ship. We were assigned to go to MDR deck 5. We went down, and rather than wander around looking for a table, we plopped ourselves down right at the entrance behind the danish and coffee table. Yeah, it might have been a little rednecky, but we set a trend. We were the first, and a couple other people followed suit shortly after. The father of this family was a rather cranky old soul, and by the time they called our number, I was ready to jump out the window if I'd had to listen to his voice one more second.

 

*

 

So we waited about 45 minutes and they called our number- 75. We got off the ship and into the luggage area, only to find that we'd had a Group Moron Moment, and our number was not 75, but 72! So we could have gotten off a little sooner if I weren't such a scatterbrain! Oh well. What can you do, eh?

 

*

 

Unfortunately, here is where our experience went sour. One of our bags was missing. I knew the minute I saw the ones that WERE there, that the missing one... also happened to be the one with the seashells in it. Oooooohhh boy! I began to be ever so slightly terrified that our bag was missing precisely because it had shells in it, and I would be concluding my vacation with a nice little stay at the Gray Bar Hotel. We searched and searched, checked the Lost Luggage area, waited, wandered, asked a few different people, and finally decided to give up. We went through customs (me still shaking inwardly, wondering if they had somehow flagged me and I'd be stopped at that point. I wasn't). So we went outside and up to the first agent we saw and told them we still hadn't found our bag.

 

*

 

Apparently some breakdown in procedure had happened here, because the first 2 or 5 people we had talked to inside should have directed us to the 'fill out the correct form' desk, but we managed to get outside without having to do this, and we were sent right back in the front door. Then we were sent OUT the front door and alllllll the way down to the Day Visitors door to fill out the form. Talked to some guy with a walkie talkie who seemed to be listening to someone on the other end telling him that some bags were still in customs. Again... oooooohhh boy.

 

*

 

So I filled out the form and we waited around for a few minutes, and I began to be further terrified that we would miss our flight. The kids were a little distraught at this point, especially S. She of course, being the wisest and most discerning among my three little munchkins, was quite upset that this would happen to us. The other two were just kinda like, "How long is this gonna take again?"

 

*

After a while, I decided that we'd better just go. It was 10:45 and our flight was at noon. We left the room and trotted as fast as we safely could without running, alllllll the way down to the end of the terminal where the taxi line is, got in the line, and tried to just breathe. The kids at this point were like, "Ok, so we're leaving without it. How are we gonna get our stuff?" and I said I hadn't the foggiest. I was trying not to have a weeping meltdown at this point. What a crappy end to a great trip.

 

*

 

Finally we got in a cab. I did my usual thing of asking the driver if he was doing ok, and he just kind of shrugged and mumbled. We made it to the airport. (Fare was $15.90 and I gave the guy a $20, in case you're interested.) We checked our luggage at the curb, because I didn't know you could do it inside, and we got stuck behind these two women traveling together who had the wrong luggage with the wrong ticket, or something, but finally we got inside. I felt a little lost, because it seemed like there were no employees anywhere, and I went up to the desk to ask where in heck we were supposed to go. [ETA: I had used the Flight Check In kiosk late the night before, which was quick, convenient, and no complaints.] I got directed in the right direction, and we went through security. The kids went through ahead of me and I somehow started talking to this lady and telling her what had been happening, and it was here that the stress finally got to me and I began to cry.

 

*

 

I went tearfully through the rest of security, and got my shoes back on, and we found a place to sit and wait. This terminal, I might add, was nowhere near as well-appointed as DFW's was- it was tiny and crowded and stress-inducing, but maybe that was just because of where my overall stress level already was. Right before boarding I ran and bought some gum and some water and Chex Mix. We stepped onto the plane and I immediately began to need to pee. But I was in the middle seat with Daughter J. on my left and some cute kid from Nebraska who had been on a Carnival cruise to the Bahamas on my right, and so I just put it out of my mind.

 

*

 

Toward the end of the flight, I desperately needed to go, but the kid was asleep and I just decided I'd suffer until we landed. Finally we made it, and I waited patiently before standing up until most of the plane was already clear (may not have mentioned that on our first flight, I stood up as soon as we stopped moving, and I felt like a moron still stuck waiting there for everyone to clear ahead of me. Live and learn.)

 

*

 

Once again on a Bathroom Mission, I apparently went sailing right past my dad, who saw us come off the plane and waved like crazy, but we were oblivious and finally spotted him again closer to the luggage claim area. The kids made a mad dash and we swarmed him and hugged him, and then a little farther on, Mom was sitting there too, in the row of seats against the wall, and we ran for her too, and I have to confess here, that although I will be 40 years old in September, I have never been so glad to see my mommy and daddy in my entire life! I wanted to cry with relief!

 

*

 

So we claimed our luggage, got out of the airport, went for lunch at Cracker Barrel, and headed North! Stopped at the WalMart in Gainesville to pick up a few things that J. needed, because get this: we were taking the poor child straight from the airport to a week of church camp! Finally, we got home, dragged everything inside, and started trying to refresh, renew, and recuperate.

 

Ta-Dah!

 

Things I learned:

 

1) If it's not formal night, almost anything goes in the MDR, but it really does look a little sloppy to go in there in shorts and t-shirts.

 

2) I only noticed what people were wearing because of the CC boards.

 

3) Give your luggage to the first person who asks.

 

4) Every time it occurs to you to do something, go ahead and do it, because you may not remember to come back to it.

 

5) The wild animal species LoungeChairius Hoggus does exist, but the FoodLine-icus Defenderus is much more prevalent and vicious.

 

6) Never again with Character Vacations unless the people I'm with are prepared to Divide and Conquer the character search on their own time!

 

7) Powerstrip is definitely a must (didn't have) and we forgot to even try to use the Ipod dock. We had a wall charger with 4 USB ports for that. We had an alarm clock, but I never needed it because I always wake up at around 6:30 on my own no matter what.

 

8) We apparently scored the Triple Crown Trifecta of family travel: three women in the family and nobody was on their "Girl Time"!

 

Things I took and didn't need:

 

1) Dollar Store rain ponchos (it rained a couple of times on ship, but if we hadn't stayed out of the rain we might have just enjoyed dancing in it. You never know. Although now that I think of it, they would have been great at Sailaway! Duh!)

 

2) Clothes pins. (never saw a clothes line)

 

3) curling iron, nail polish and remover, and other beauty items like hair combs, pins, and so on. (You just can't make a bunch of girly-girls out of a bunch of low-maintenance country girls, even on Formal Night!)

 

4) Highlighter- nope, never used it. I either circled stuff in pencil or just carried the compass around and referred to it frequently.

 

5) Workout clothes- Duh, goes without saying. (Here is the promised confession of the result of my incredible gluttony: For the two weeks between the Tuesday before we left and the Tuesday after we came back [Weight Watchers meetings are on Tuesday] I showed a gain of an incredible 15 lbs.! :eek: But I am happy to say that in the ONE week after we were back, I made such good choices I took off the entire 15, plus a few ounces, which tells me that the VAST majority of it was nothing but water retention.)

 

6) Sunscreen- not all of it, just two or three extra bottles I could have done without, seeing as we didn't spend a ton of time on the pool deck, and when we did, it was after dark!

 

7) Extra swimsuits. I didn't end up getting to swim all that much, either on ship or in port, and I had about 4 or 5 with me and only two ever made it onto my body. :(

 

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And so we come to the end of our journey. If I forgot to revisit any subject I promised to revisit, (and in case you're interested) please ask any questions you have. If you have any other questions, just let me know, and I'll try to remember.

 

Regarding what we've been up to since the cruise: We picked J. up from church camp last Saturday the 9th and went straight up to Oklahoma City for my baby sister's wedding. It was beautiful, and I enjoyed meeting up with an old friend from high school (read: an old crush!) and catching up with him. We now have a few days before we leave for a road trip to a family reunion in Colorado that I'm very much looking forward to, and when we get back from THAT, I need to immerse myself in paperwork for Daughter S.'s college and The Boy's online public school that we're going to try this next year.

 

*

 

I don't know when we'll get to cruise again. I like to think that I will eventually get to go again someday, with someone, but if it never happens, I had this one golden memory of a trip with my babies at a special crossroads in our lives.

 

Thank you for being with me!

Until next time,

D.

Edited June 18, 2012 by OklaCruiserMom

[OklaCruiserMom]

PS:

 

Re: the lost luggage

 

A nice lady called me the next day from Alabama and said the porter had stuck it on the cart with her group. I called Royal, they called her, somebody paid for it, and it arrived via Fed Ex the day after next, everything intact, as far as we could tell.

 

WHEW!!!

[OklaCruiserMom]

Another PS-

 

Regarding the letter to RCCL about the special meeting w/ Hiccup-

 

*Got an email from AG

*A day or two later got a call from customer service thanking me again for the email and offering a couple of special things for the next time I cruise- $100 OBC and a special amenity like perhaps some cupcakes in our room. (Think maybe they read my review? ;)

 

Thanks again, RCCL!

[LitaArn]

Dear OklaCruiserMom D,

 

From reading your review, I sensed that you are a wonderful Mother, a very considerate and funny Lady too! I would also like to say that your style of writing is impressive; the feelings of humanity throughout your review are heartfelt.

 

There were many parts in your review that made me laughed out loud with your choice words, phrases, and sentences; “LoungeChairius Hoggus” and “FoodLine-icus Defenderus” indeed :D

 

There were, as well, many sentimental moments like when your Daughter J. met Hiccup, and when your Mom and Dad met you at the airport (I lost my beloved Parents so many years ago, and I still miss them everyday :( ) Another poignant moment was your time at the WJ on the 2nd last day. When reading and seeing the photo of your kids at the WJ looking out of the window at the sea, I felt a squeeze in my heart, tears in my eyes, and a fervent wish that your family will have more beautiful moments/vacations in your future. Another wish is for you to find your Significant Other who will treat your lovely self and your wonderful children splendidly!

 

Reading thru your review also made me see another kindred spirit: a Mom who feels that her greatest blessings on earth are her beautiful children. With that in mind, please let me say:

 

Fact #1: The general consensus of your readers, myself included, is that you are a great Mom...

 

So, when times get tough, tougher, and toughest (I hope and pray that there will be very few), please always remember to refer to Fact #1.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Lita

 

P.S. Oh goodness gracious, I forgot to say THANK YOU so much for writing your review! Also, I just read that Royal has given you $100 OBC for your next cruise! I'm very happy for you :)

Edited June 18, 2012 by LitaArn

[reallyitsmema]

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. I really enjoyed your writing style.

[mad4rda]

Hi

 

What an absolutely fabulously honest and fantastic review!

 

Thank you for sharing your memories of your trip with your beautiful children.

 

Kazza

 

P.S. I'm so glad you got your suitcase back!!

[OklaCruiserMom]

Dear OklaCruiserMom D,

 

From reading your review, I sensed that you are a wonderful Mother, a very considerate and funny Lady too! I would also like to say that your style of writing is impressive; the feelings of humanity throughout your review are heartfelt.

 

There were many parts in your review that made me laughed out loud with your choice words, phrases, and sentences; “LoungeChairius Hoggus” and “FoodLine-icus Defenderus” indeed :D

 

There were, as well, many sentimental moments like when your Daughter J. met Hiccup, and when your Mom and Dad met you at the airport (I lost my beloved Parents so many years ago, and I still miss them everyday :( ) Another poignant moment was your time at the WJ on the 2nd last day. When reading and seeing the photo of your kids at the WJ looking out of the window at the sea, I felt a squeeze in my heart, tears in my eyes, and a fervent wish that your family will have more beautiful moments/vacations in your future. Another wish is for you to find your Significant Other who will treat you and your children splendidly!

 

Reading thru your review also made me see another kindred spirit: a Mom who feels that her greatest blessings on earth are her children. With that in mind, please let me say:

 

Fact #1: The general consensus of your readers, myself included, is that you are a great Mom...

 

So, when times get tough, tougher, and toughest (I hope and pray that there will be very few), please always remember to refer to Fact #1.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Lita

 

P.S. Oh goodness gracious, I forgot to say THANK YOU so much for writing your review! Also, I just read that Royal has given you $100 OBC for your next cruise! I'm very happy for you :)

 

 

Thank you so much for your beautiful response to my trip journal experience! So very kind and encouraging. I promise I'll remember it. I'm so glad you enjoyed reading and reliving it along with us!

 

Happy cruising to you!

[OklaCruiserMom]

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. I really enjoyed your writing style.

 

 

Thanks! I really did have a lot of fun writing it. I love "trying" to be funny. Hope I succeeded most of the time. :D

 

Hi

 

What an absolutely fabulously honest and fantastic review!

 

Thank you for sharing your memories of your trip with your beautiful children.

 

Kazza

 

P.S. I'm so glad you got your suitcase back!!

 

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. We did have an overall beyond awesome time, and I was definitely very satisfied with the luggage situation turning out as it did. I mentioned on my survey that they need to tell the porters to be extra super careful that they're grabbing only the luggage that belongs to the group they're working with.

 

Thanks again!

[NYGirl1002]

Thanks so much for your great review! I have a special needs daughter too so the story of Hiccup really brought tears to my eyes. I know what it's like when they want something.

 

We were treated very well on our recent Disney cruise also. It meant so much to me that she was happy. In fact your ship was right next to ours in Nassau! I was amazed at the size of it!

 

Needless to say I enjoyed your review very much and I'm sorry it's over already.

[lewes]

Hello again. Nearing the end... : (

 

I let the kids sleep in as long as I dared, and we went to the WJ for breakfast. (This part is totally pathetic, but we were all tickled pink to be back in the US where we could use our phones! All three of us girls had 'em whipped out and were texting like mad over our eggs and danishes! LOL!) My mom had already been up and watching the webcam and marveling again about how big the ship is. I have a picture of Daughter S. with a whole muffin stuck in her mouth like a roasted pig with an apple, but it's on the one memory card I haven't managed to upload yet- the micro one from my phone.

 

 

*

 

After breakfast we consulted the oh-so-convenient digital signage that tells you where you are to wait for your number to be called to leave the ship. We were assigned to go to MDR deck 5. We went down, and rather than wander around looking for a table, we plopped ourselves down right at the entrance behind the danish and coffee table. Yeah, it might have been a little rednecky, but we set a trend. We were the first, and a couple other people followed suit shortly after. The father of this family was a rather cranky old soul, and by the time they called our number, I was ready to jump out the window if I'd had to listen to his voice one more second.

 

*

 

So we waited about 45 minutes and they called our number- 75. We got off the ship and into the luggage area, only to find that we'd had a Group Moron Moment, and our number was not 75, but 72! So we could have gotten off a little sooner if I weren't such a scatterbrain! Oh well. What can you do, eh?

 

*

 

Unfortunately, here is where our experience went sour. One of our bags was missing. I knew the minute I saw the ones that WERE there, that the missing one... also happened to be the one with the seashells in it. Oooooohhh boy! I began to be ever so slightly terrified that our bag was missing precisely because it had shells in it, and I would be concluding my vacation with a nice little stay at the Gray Bar Hotel. We searched and searched, checked the Lost Luggage area, waited, wandered, asked a few different people, and finally decided to give up. We went through customs (me still shaking inwardly, wondering if they had somehow flagged me and I'd be stopped at that point. I wasn't). So we went outside and up to the first agent we saw and told them we still hadn't found our bag.

 

*

 

Apparently some breakdown in procedure had happened here, because the first 2 or 5 people we had talked to inside should have directed us to the 'fill out the correct form' desk, but we managed to get outside without having to do this, and we were sent right back in the front door. Then we were sent OUT the front door and alllllll the way down to the Day Visitors door to fill out the form. Talked to some guy with a walkie talkie who seemed to be listening to someone on the other end telling him that some bags were still in customs. Again... oooooohhh boy.

 

*

 

So I filled out the form and we waited around for a few minutes, and I began to be further terrified that we would miss our flight. The kids were a little distraught at this point, especially S. She of course, being the wisest and most discerning among my three little munchkins, was quite upset that this would happen to us. The other two were just kinda like, "How long is this gonna take again?"

 

*

After a while, I decided that we'd better just go. It was 10:45 and our flight was at noon. We left the room and trotted as fast as we safely could without running, alllllll the way down to the end of the terminal where the taxi line is, got in the line, and tried to just breathe. The kids at this point were like, "Ok, so we're leaving without it. How are we gonna get our stuff?" and I said I hadn't the foggiest. I was trying not to have a weeping meltdown at this point. What a crappy end to a great trip.

 

*

 

Finally we got in a cab. I did my usual thing of asking the driver if he was doing ok, and he just kind of shrugged and mumbled. We made it to the airport. (Fare was $15.90 and I gave the guy a $20, in case you're interested.) We checked our luggage at the curb, because I didn't know you could do it inside, and we got stuck behind these two women traveling together who had the wrong luggage with the wrong ticket, or something, but finally we got inside. I felt a little lost, because it seemed like there were no employees anywhere, and I went up to the desk to ask where in heck we were supposed to go. [ETA: I had used the Flight Check In kiosk late the night before, which was quick, convenient, and no complaints.] I got directed in the right direction, and we went through security. The kids went through ahead of me and I somehow started talking to this lady and telling her what had been happening, and it was here that the stress finally got to me and I began to cry.

 

*

 

I went tearfully through the rest of security, and got my shoes back on, and we found a place to sit and wait. This terminal, I might add, was nowhere near as well-appointed as DFW's was- it was tiny and crowded and stress-inducing, but maybe that was just because of where my overall stress level already was. Right before boarding I ran and bought some gum and some water and Chex Mix. We stepped onto the plane and I immediately began to need to pee. But I was in the middle seat with Daughter J. on my left and some cute kid from Nebraska who had been on a Carnival cruise to the Bahamas on my right, and so I just put it out of my mind.

 

*

 

Toward the end of the flight, I desperately needed to go, but the kid was asleep and I just decided I'd suffer until we landed. Finally we made it, and I waited patiently before standing up until most of the plane was already clear (may not have mentioned that on our first flight, I stood up as soon as we stopped moving, and I felt like a moron still stuck waiting there for everyone to clear ahead of me. Live and learn.)

 

*

 

Once again on a Bathroom Mission, I apparently went sailing right past my dad, who saw us come off the plane and waved like crazy, but we were oblivious and finally spotted him again closer to the luggage claim area. The kids made a mad dash and we swarmed him and hugged him, and then a little farther on, Mom was sitting there too, in the row of seats against the wall, and we ran for her too, and I have to confess here, that although I will be 40 years old in September, I have never been so glad to see my mommy and daddy in my entire life! I wanted to cry with relief!

 

*

 

So we claimed our luggage, got out of the airport, went for lunch at Cracker Barrel, and headed North! Stopped at the WalMart in Gainesville to pick up a few things that J. needed, because get this: we were taking the poor child straight from the airport to a week of church camp! Finally, we got home, dragged everything inside, and started trying to refresh, renew, and recuperate.

 

Ta-Dah!

 

Things I learned:

 

1) If it's not formal night, almost anything goes in the MDR, but it really does look a little sloppy to go in there in shorts and t-shirts.

 

2) I only noticed what people were wearing because of the CC boards.

 

3) Give your luggage to the first person who asks.

 

4) Every time it occurs to you to do something, go ahead and do it, because you may not remember to come back to it.

 

5) The wild animal species LoungeChairius Hoggus does exist, but the FoodLine-icus Defenderus is much more prevalent and vicious.

 

6) Never again with Character Vacations unless the people I'm with are prepared to Divide and Conquer the character search on their own time!

 

7) Powerstrip is definitely a must (didn't have) and we forgot to even try to use the Ipod dock. We had a wall charger with 4 USB ports for that. We had an alarm clock, but I never needed it because I always wake up at around 6:30 on my own no matter what.

 

8) We apparently scored the Triple Crown Trifecta of family travel: three women in the family and nobody was on their "Girl Time"!

 

Things I took and didn't need:

 

1) Dollar Store rain ponchos (it rained a couple of times on ship, but if we hadn't stayed out of the rain we might have just enjoyed dancing in it. You never know. Although now that I think of it, they would have been great at Sailaway! Duh!)

 

2) Clothes pins. (never saw a clothes line)

 

3) curling iron, nail polish and remover, and other beauty items like hair combs, pins, and so on. (You just can't make a bunch of girly-girls out of a bunch of low-maintenance country girls, even on Formal Night!)

 

4) Highlighter- nope, never used it. I either circled stuff in pencil or just carried the compass around and referred to it frequently.

 

5) Workout clothes- Duh, goes without saying. (Here is the promised confession of the result of my incredible gluttony: For the two weeks between the Tuesday before we left and the Tuesday after we came back [Weight Watchers meetings are on Tuesday] I showed a gain of an incredible 15 lbs.! :eek: But I am happy to say that in the ONE week after we were back, I made such good choices I took off the entire 15, plus a few ounces, which tells me that the VAST majority of it was nothing but water retention.)

 

6) Sunscreen- not all of it, just two or three extra bottles I could have done without, seeing as we didn't spend a ton of time on the pool deck, and when we did, it was after dark!

 

7) Extra swimsuits. I didn't end up getting to swim all that much, either on ship or in port, and I had about 4 or 5 with me and only two ever made it onto my body. :(

 

*

*

*

*

*

 

And so we come to the end of our journey. If I forgot to revisit any subject I promised to revisit, (and in case you're interested) please ask any questions you have. If you have any other questions, just let me know, and I'll try to remember.

 

Regarding what we've been up to since the cruise: We picked J. up from church camp last Saturday the 9th and went straight up to Oklahoma City for my baby sister's wedding. It was beautiful, and I enjoyed meeting up with an old friend from high school (read: an old crush!) and catching up with him. We now have a few days before we leave for a road trip to a family reunion in Colorado that I'm very much looking forward to, and when we get back from THAT, I need to immerse myself in paperwork for Daughter S.'s college and The Boy's online public school that we're going to try this next year.

 

*

 

I don't know when we'll get to cruise again. I like to think that I will eventually get to go again someday, with someone, but if it never happens, I had this one golden memory of a trip with my babies at a special crossroads in our lives.

 

Thank you for being with me!

Until next time,

D.

 

I enjoyed reading ever word of your review.

May God bless you for the person that you are. He only gives you want you can handle.

Your children are blessed to have a mother like you.

I hope all goes well for you and your family in the future and I pray you will get to go on another cruise.

[wolfegizmo]

Wonderful review!!! Thank you so much for writing it!!!

[ginamarie935]

I am so sad to see this jornal end. I have loved reading every bit of it.

 

You have made me really conscious of my reaction to what goes on around me. I felt so sorry for your daughter when she was crying due to the mans reaction to her. So many times just a couteous response is all that is needed. I will definately pay more attention from now on. Thank you so much!

[NeuroQueen]

What a heart-felt, tear-inducing review. You, my dear, are a wonderful mother! I hope you find your significant other and the two of you embark on a romantic cruise through the islands.

[datpham]

I have been on Allure and love every minute of her. Your story brought back a lot of fond memories on our last year cruise of the Allure. Thanks again for a great story.

 

Dat

[monn_a]

I don't usually spend a lot of time reading the reviews (unless there are a lot of pictures :D-like a little kid)...but I read every word of yours and kept checking back for updates...what a wonderful writer and great mom. You can feel the love you have for your kids through your words. I'm glad you had a great trip and such a positive experience and outlook. Also glad everything worked out with your luggage. It sounds like you have a wonderful family and you all really enjoy each other.

[happyiam]

You got my WOW card! I really enjoyed your review of your vacation. I can't think of anything else to say except thank you for sharing this. I also wish you and your family all the best.

[toto6]

What an amazing review. I read anything I could for a year about the Allure. After our trip on the Allure, I have not read any reviews of the Allure until yours. I read every word and kept looking for more. Thanks so much for sharing your writing skills.

Your kids are lucky and you are a great mom and person. You will find your partner! Happened to this mom of 3 and you deserve it!! :D

[Jayfo]

I loved your review. All of us moms have had our moments for sure where we question ourselves as to doing the right thing (had to pull over on the side of the highway on a road trip to Florida just to smack some noggins that decided the 3rd row seat would be out of mom's arm reach...sigh..) but have faith that you are doing just fine ;)

The pic of miss jazz hugging the ice skater and of all three of them gazing out the WJ window is just precious :)

 

I also hope all the crabby folks that have issue with a kid accidently bumping into them or acting (Heaven forbid!!) like a kid will take a second to think before they lash out with the heavy sigh or tisk tisk tisk....

[aml716]

i love love love loved your review.

 

I echo the above poster's (LitaArn's) sentiments.

 

I hope that one day I can possess the wonderful gift that you exhibit: An understanding, patient, caring and loving mother.