I love it when we’re cruising together!

I couldn’t resist writing in the sand. 

I had to proclaim my love to everyone. 

That pretty blue string caught my eye. Until I realized what it was attached to, I nearly grabbed it. What a tragedy that would have been. 

The pictures above were from my early morning walk on the beach. Once I was back in the room from my beach adventures on Saturday morning, I finished packing and sat on the balcony to listen to the waves. Louise ironed clothes and packed as well. Once we were all ready for the day, we headed to breakfast at a place called Pink Ball. It was a cute little cafe just a block away from our hotel. 

After breakfast Zoe and I took a walk and Louise did some last minute preparations for her crew to get on the ship. Once we were all back together it was time to head to the ship. We arrived around 1 pm and were greeted by music and a promenade of restaurants and pubs. It was phenomenal. We went to our room and got settled a touch, before going to explore the ship. 

Our room. 

Lou sorted out rooms while Zoe and I went to the carousel. We rode, of course, which was thrilling. We wanted to go to the sweet shop, Sugar Bowl, but it was closed until 5:30 pm. 

A carousel is my favorite. 

Zoe wouldn’t go past the yellow pad. 

And the Abyss, a dry slide that is said to be a bit scary and super fast. 

We went back to the room to get our bags unpacked and Lou met us there. I got everything unpacked and was ready for our safety drill, which Zoe did not like. 

After the drill we went to Central Park and got a beef sandwich. Yummy! 

We then headed to the spa to book our massages for the week. Zoe was napping so Lou sorted out her internet for the week and I had a robot make me a cocktail. 

Thank you bionic bar for my much too expensive drink! Ha!

Blue margarita! I’ve always heard you should stay away from blue foods or beverages, and then there’s the tequila. 

Back to the room we went so Louise could sort out the dance schedule for the dance group. 

It was just before 6 pm and we could still see the Miami skyline. This cruise ship is unbelievable. The only reason I knew we were moving was because I could feel the engines. There were over 6000 people on board. It’s a city on the water. 

We took Zoe to the kid’s club at 7:15 and then headed to dinner. We had a lovely meal of crab cakes, prime rib and key lime pie. Yummy! 

We then hit the casino. Hello! Louise had a huge win, but then ended up putting some of it back into the machine. We didn’t walk away with a great deal, but we didn’t lose our shirts either. So in the end it was a great night. We picked Zoe up at 10 pm and went down for a coffee. A cruise ship is a bit like Vegas, you never really know what time it is. 

We got back to the room and Zoe went to sleep. Lou and I read what to expect on Day 2 on the ship and then turned in ourselves. 

I woke up just after 8, with the sun shining in the window of our balcony room. The waves and sea were beautiful. It was a bit cloudy, but I was sure that would pass. 

Because sometimes, sitting on the balcony in the quiet of the vast ocean reminds us of how small, in this great big world, we are. 

We would spend the next two days at sea, which would be lovely. Lou and I had already been to the spa to book our beauty treatments. I really don’t ever do things like this unless I’m with Lou or sometimes Gina. At any rate, I had a cellulite treatment at 11 am. And, yes, it was as exciting as it sounded. The beauty of it was the lady giving the treatment gave some biological facts as to why cellulite forms. It was interesting and within the first treatment I had lost 4.5 inches off my hips and thighs, combined. The only problem is, when you get treatments like this done, they try to sell you all of their producers. And although they may work, the money is ridiculous. Therefore if you don’t keep it up whatever progress I get in three days won’t last. Oh well, it was (and will be for two more treatments) be an experience to remember. 

After my cellulite treatment I decided to have my teeth bleached. I could tell a decent difference, but again, what he wanted to sell me for the upkeep was obnoxious. So, again, chalk it up as an experience. Except that I have had my teeth bleached before and even without the added on products, my teeth stayed pretty white for several years. 

After my treatments, I came back to the room and picked up Lou and Zoe. We went and grabbed a bite to eat. I then took Zoe to the carousel and to get a balloon made. She was thrilled. 

A pretty, pink flower for a pretty little girl!

Another fun ride on the carousel. 

We walked around for a bit and once I knew Zoe was asleep, I went to ‘Central Park’ and sat at the Park Cafe. I had some little treats of passion fruit mousse and a bite of dolce con leche cheesecake, both of which made me a bit ill. Zoe rustled around a bit and then I decided to head upstairs for a shower. She went back to sleep and Lou still had another hour of treatments. 

After my shower, I sat on the balcony and enjoyed a glass of wine. For some reason Zoe is afraid there are sharks in the water so she doesn’t even want the curtains open to the balcony. She is genuinely scared. 

After my glass of wine, my plan was to get Zoe to shower before Lou got back. So when she woke up around 5:45 pm, that’s exactly what I did. She is put in the shower with the sprayer and she goes to town. She has a blast. And then about 15 minutes after she gets in, she’s washed and gets out. Easy!

Lou and I got dressed for the formal night. Our dinner plans were at Wonderland, a totally experimental restaurant, based on Alice and Wonderland. It’s difficult to book, so Lou had done so before we got on the ship. It’s at an extra cost, but said to be well worth the experience. Before dinner, we headed to the casino after Lou took Zoe to kids club. Apparently she cried when Lou left. She’s not been feeling great and has a cough of sorts, so it’s not terribly surprising she’s not crazy about being away from Lou. 

We got to the restaurant around 8 pm and were seated. It was indescribable. We went down some stairs into the ‘rabbit hole’ where we were greeted by the Mad Hatter. He was quite a character. 

The door leading to Wonderland. 

The tables below. 

You had to paint your framed menu in order to see the menu. 

The food is in the following pictures. It was amazing in presentation and taste. 

This was the Mad Hatter’s purple potted shrimp. And the Bird’s Nest is just to the right. It came out with a dome on top. When they lifted the dome the whole thing smoked. 

This was Crispy Crab Cone and Liquid Lobster. 


And the was a Down the Rabbit Hole drink with a blue pill at the bottom. Not sure the meaning of the blue pill. 

This was the caprese salad. Right after we got the salad, the kids club called to say that Zoe had been crying for almost and hour and a half and that she had just thrown up. She hasn’t been feeling that great, but she is also a gagger when she gets upset. Bless her! So Lou went up to get her. We decided that we would probably have to forego kids club for the rest of the trip. So Lou returned with Zoe and an iPad. She sat a quietly as an angel. 

The Mad Hatter was quiet entertaining throughout. 

Even the dessert was themed. Meringue and sorbet. 

When she poured the caramel sauce over this the middle dissolved and there was caramel inside. 

We had short ribs and belly pork for the main meal, but by the time I remembered to take the picture, we had devoured it. So that’s why the desserts are the last pictures of food. 

It was formal night and we posed in front of the door. 

The menu. 

The front entrance. 

After dinner I went to the casino for about an hour and then was back in the room for bed. Lou’s dance team would be performing the following morning so we would actually have to set an alarm. 

Meanwhile, back in Sydney, the kids are having fun fishing and hanging out with each other. Josh, my 13 year old nephew, and Stuart both got their boat licenses, and the boat got fixed, so they were fishing and boating. 

This is the club they boat to to eat lunch. 

Tuesday morning, Lou left just before 8 to get some final things done for the dancers. Zoe and I had room service, got dressed and then headed up to let the kids club know we would not be with them that evening. We then went to see the dancers perform. Zoe didn’t want to stay. It seems she was a bit scared and didn’t want to watch the girls dance. Louis said she’s not sure why Zoe seems so scared of things lately. It’s probably just an age thing. 

We ended up watching the dancers and they were really good. Unfortunately their performance wasn’t advertised very well so the audience wasn’t huge, but they got to be on a large stage, which was nice for them. Then they were all off to the pool. Louise and Zoe headed to the pool as well, while I headed to get some of my cellulite zapped again. 

I met up with Zoe and Lou for lunch in the main dining room around 12:30 pm. Our meals are epic each time we sit down. 

The dessert bar, in three parts. 

Part 2

Part 3

Our view as we ate. 

My pork belly appetizer. 

My dessert plate that I couldn’t cope with. 

And the green tongue produced by the green chocolate. 

After lunch we came up to the room for a bit. Then Zoe and I went to the pool while Lou went for her massage and facial. I forgot to bring my phone, therefore no cute pictures will you see. After about an hour or so, we called it a day and headed back to the room. I decided to take a shower and told Zoe we would go to the carousel when I was finished. When I came out of the shower Zoe had the iPad on her chest. She had fallen asleep. So the carousel was out and she was too. 

Louise came back to the room just before 6 pm. Zoe had just woken up so wasn’t entirely chipper. We had booked to go to the sushi restaurant at 7:30 pm. It was yummy, but we ordered way too much. 

After dinner we decided to go and see the ice skating show called 1977, set in England. It was unbelievable. The lighting was incredible and the skating, spectacular. We had to stand in the back, but it was well worth it. 

The soldiers marched out and then skated in line. 

We went back to the cabin after the show and turned in. We had decided we would go with the dance group on the catamaran the following day in St Maarten. So we would need to be up by 8 to get off the ship by 9. 

We both woke up at 8 and sat straight up in bed in a panic. I got dressed and went upstairs to get us some breakfast. Zoe was still asleep so Lou just dressed her and put her in the stroller. When we got off we were the first people off the boat. We couldn’t quite figure it out. Later we would discover that our phones had changed time with the time zones, yet we were to stay on Miami time while on the boat. Oops. It truly threw our entire afternoon off. 

We got buses to the catamaran and boarded. We first went snorkeling and then rode around in the water. It was a great trip, but the rum punch was a bit potent. 

Catamaran trip

I took a swim around the boat. 

The bathing beauties. 

Once we were off the catamaran we headed back to the ship. We showered up and had a bit of a sleep. Once we were awake and ready for the evening we headed to dinner. This is where our timings were off. We thought we were going to dinner at 8, but really it was 7. Therefore when we talked about watching Hiro, a water/dive show, we thought we would have to wait around for an hour or so, when in fact it was two hours. 

We walked around the ship after dinner and decided to go to the Boardwalk, where the dive show would take place. We heard music and noticed the show had started. This is when we figured out the time issue. The first show had started, so instead of waiting around for the second show, we popped a squat and watched the one in progress. It was really great. The floor of the pool could be brought almost level with the side so the acrobats could dance in the water. Once the show was over we headed back to the room for a good night’s sleep. 

Meanwhile, in Sydney, the boys and Millie continue to be entertained by Stuart and James. 

Apparently Sky Zone is an adventure in and of itself. 

A little food court meal. Pork buns for Billy, sushi rolls for Jack, and Josh and Millie remain the least adventurous eaters in the world. Hello KFC!

No day with kids is complete without a run around on a soccer pitch. 

The whole gang, minus Matt, at the Thai. 

This was Jack’s drawing at the Thai restaurant. I’m not real sure what it is. 

Stuart said, although her faces tells a different story, she did actually like the prawn cakes at the Thai restaurant. 

Zoe had another difficult night’s sleep. She’s really congested, so was quite restless in the night. She just can’t quite cough up what’s in her lungs. Poor Lou hasn’t slept much the last two nights.  

I was awake about two hours before they were, so I sat out on the balcony and checked out Facebook and my emails. Although there were very many emails to cruise through, as somehow I have deleted everything in my in-box. I guess that’s one way to not have to deal with certain things. Oops!

Once we were all awake, we headed to the dining room for breakfast. I had grits and bacon which were delightful. I’m pretty sure I’ve gained a few kilos since leaving Al Ain last Wednesday. Oh well, New Year’s resolutions are just around the corner. 

Once we had finished breakfast we headed on shore to San Juan, Puerto Rico. We just wandered around the old town for a few hours. I, of course, bought a few local jewelry pieces made of recycled tin. They were fab pieces of art. I have a pair of the earrings in some of the pictures to follow. 

San Juan from our balcony. 

The streets of the old town. 

The selfie of the day. 

One of the two forts in the old town. 

Another view of the fort. 

We walked up the hill to this glorious view of the ocean. 

This was the area close to the other fort. They all had names, but neither you nor I will remember them. 

This little area was called La Perla. It looked as if it used to be a little village of shops and pubs. It was right on the water and Lou and I speculated it was hit hard by the most recent hurricane. 

The other fort. This was as close as we got. 

A cemetery. 

The crazy cobblestones of Old Town San Juan. 

Such a quaint area. And look at my lovely new earrings. 

This was a church that was clearly hit hard by the hurricane. In the top left corner of the picture you can see where they are still working on the repairs. 

This was a dilapidated building in the middle of town. It was much more interesting than the picture shows. In the windows, you could see all kinds of foliage growing. The buildings around it were perfectly functional apartments or businesses. 

This was the department of state building in Peurto Rico. It was all festive for Christmas. 

We stopped at this little place to have a drink and some ahi wonton nachos. Yummy! 

We got back on the boat just before noon. I headed to the pool, via the Park Cafe. Lou and Zoe stayed in the room. Lou saidshe felt I needed some alone time. I hoped I didn’t indicate I needed alone time. I feel like I’ve had so much alone time without Stuart and the kids. But, I took advantage of it and did a little blog writing. 

And I may have had a cookie, some strawberry mousse, and a cup of coffee. Not good for my diet, at all. 

I headed up to the pool and decided to go down the water slides by the pool. I felt I had to do it for Jack. 

These two slides were one on top of the other. 

This one had a swirl at the end that you had to try not to get stuck in. I got stuck. 

And here is the view from the big pools across the ship. 

All three of the slides were fun and relatively fast. The blue one was the fastest one by far. I’m glad I did each of them, but don’t feel the need to go again. 

I met up with Zoe and Lou and we had a swim, then went into the spa for a while. As we were pulling away from San Juan it started to rain. We stayed in the spa. Why get out when it’s raining? When the rain slowed down, we decided to get dry towels and get changed into dry clothes. We then went to the Boardwalk and got hot dogs from the hot dog stand. We sat at Playmakers and ate them because it was raining outside and we couldn’t sit on the boardwalk. 

I then went off and walked around a bit. I bought Millie some new flip flops and Jack a new t-shirt. I then headed to meet Lou and Zoe at Vitality Spa. I took Zoe, who was asleep, and Lou went for a massage. I went back to the room and sat out on the balcony. I so love the sound of the waves hitting the side of the ship. I got on the internet and FaceTimed Stuart. They were getting ready to go into the city for an overnight. They decided to go in to see the lights. 

During my call to him Zoe woke up. She was a bit upset because Lou wasn’t there. So I hung up with Stuart and tried to make sure she was okay. She ended up watching Peppa Pig on the iPad and all was well. I ended up taking a shower and getting ready for dinner. Louise returned from her massage around 6:20 pm and got showered. I went up to the buffet to get Zoe some food. We were going to a really nice restaurant for dinner, but there wouldn’t be food for Zoe. She was meant to go to the nursery, but she wasn’t terribly happy about that so she went with us instead. 

The restaurant was called 150 Central Park. There were other children in the place when we got there so it was no big deal that Zoe came. The food was divine. I took pictures of some of it before I destroyed it, but I forgot to take a picture of the dessert. It was a peanut butter chocolate tart with raspberry sorbet on top. Yummy!

There were two other rolls there before Lou and I dug in. La brioche! It was rosemary and thyme bread. 

Scallops with a wine sauce around it. The wine sauce was in a little ramican and the waiter poured it around the scallops when he brought it to the table. 

The carnage of my lobster thermodor. 

Here is the interactive art on the Boardwalk. 

And no day is complete without a ride on the carousel. 

We came back to the cabin and decided to watch Oceans 8. Of course, in true form, I fell asleep. I woke up to the credits playing. I went to the bathroom and went right back to sleep. Zoe coughed most of the night and seemingly crawled all over Lou because when I would get up to use the bathroom, Lou would be on the opposite side of the bed. I heard Zoe, but when it’s not yours you pay less attention and you certainly don’t need to be aware or awake. 

I was awake around 7 am, but just lazed around, checking Facebook, emails, and messaging Stuart. Louise woke up around 8 am and Zoe continued to sleep. Bless her little cotton socks. I went out on the balcony about 8:30. I had hoped to sit out there and enjoy the view as the ship docked at Labadee, Haiti, Royal Caribbean’s personal island (but it’s actually a penninsula). Instead, I was met by screaming young children. Why do parents let their kids scream for no apparent reason? I guess mine did the same, andnot being  able to remember it is what makes me still love them. 

I did manage to take a few pictures of the gorgeous waters. 

Labadee, Haiti, is guarded for the guests of Royal Caribbean. There are some local artists who have been granted the privilege to sell their wares in the flea market. The ship brings its staff of the boat to cook in the four restaurants on the island. 

Meanwhile, while we are enjoying the Caribbean, the boys (and Millie) are in the city enjoying the Christmas lights and festivities. 

Off the ship, ready for a day in the sun. 

This is Labadee. 

A local group, playing for our entertainment. Calypso music at its finest. 

The gorgeous sand a sea. 

The group playing behind us. 

Around the island are these beautiful areas to sit and relax. 

And no place is complete without a splash pad. 

We headed back to the ship around 3:30 pm. When we got to the room I took a shower and then relaxed for a while. Around 6 pm I went up to the buffet to get Zoe some food. Because she isn’t keen on the kids club, we do our best to feed her before we go into the specialty restaurants. She is a lot like Millie and really only eats white food. She ate a bit and then we decided to walk around the ship, thinking she might go to sleep as she hadn’t had a nap. She didn’t go to sleep until we sat down at Chops Grille. Lou help her for a bit and she dropped right off, making it easier for Lou to enjoy her food. 

After dinner we met the dance parents at the Copper and Kettle Pub. We then carried on to The Quest, a human scavenger hunt. It took place in the theatre, so it was a bit like Let’s Make A Deal, where the host would throw out things he was looking for and our teams would have to come up with the items. It was a hilarious game. Zoe slept through most of he noise, only waking up at the end. It was an enjoyable evening. We were in bed by midnight. 

Zoe still struggled to sleep Thursday night, bless her. However, I only heard her at 5 am, so either it was a better night for her or I slept much deeper than normal. 

I was awake around 7:30 am and decided to go out on the balcony, which I have done most mornings. It was rather toasty and windy on Friday morning. In fact, having the door open made noise, which I didn’t realize until I got back into the room about an hour later, and Lou and Zoe were still trying to sleep. Oops! 

I know this view looks very similar to those further up the blog, but I just can’t stop being amazed by it. 

I ended up going back to sleep once I was back in the room. We all woke up around 10:30 am because the phone rang. Once we were all awake again, I went back out on the balcony while Lou checked her emails and did a little bit of work. 

I took a picture of this vessel that was out a ways from our ship. What is it, you ask? I have no idea. But since we have only seen other ships or ocean vehicles when we are in port, I found it quite fascinating. 

We headed to El Loco Mexican restaurant for lunch around noon. As we walked there, we realized this was a part of the ship we had not even been on to this point. It was quite crazy to think there was an entire front deck we hadn’t seen. There was a putt putt course, a basketball court and a full arcade. There were soft serve ice cream stations and the restaurant. It was a teenager’s heaven. 

Mexican food!

Zoe with her ice cream. 

Once lunch was over, I decided to slide down the dry slide called the Abyss. I had been told it was jerky, when in fact it was 8 seconds of full speed swirls from floor 16 to floor 5. It was spectacular, and I did it. It wasn’t scary at all. 

I walked Zoe around while Lou has her last two spa appointments. We sat in Central Park for nearly an hour. Zoe watched a movie and I drank coffee and enjoyed to cool breeze. Once Lou was finished with her appointments it was my turn for my last cellulite blast. When it was over, I had lost 10 inches from my legs and butt. Really? I’m not sure I believed her, but she was sweet and I enjoyed my conversations with her. 

When I returned to the room, Zoe was playing in the shower, and since she was happy we let her stay there for another 30 minutes. Then I showered and started to get ready for our last dinner on the ship. Louise’s tour group were all meeting at Copper and Kettle Pub before dinner, then having dinner in the front of the ship on the 15th floor. 

During drinks the boat really started to move. It seems there was a storm at sea and we were all getting ready to feel it in a big way onthe 15th floor. When we got to the  Solarium we had to hang on to the rails as not to fall. It made for a bit of an unpleasant meal for some of the travelers. It was too bad because since it was their last dinner together, they were giving gifts to Lou and even had a birthday cake for her, as her 40th birthday was just a week away. It was still a nice night. 

We went back to the pub after dinner just to say goodnight and farewell to some of the families. Louise then went to make some copies and I went to the cabin to finish packing and get into bed. 

The night was a rough one for Zoe. She coughed and coughed and coughed. I felt sorry for both her and Lou. None of us slept very well. It would be a crap shoot as to how Saturday would turn out, as we were going to get off the ship around 7:30 am to catch a 10:30 am flight to Los Angeles. 

Last time to sit on our balcony. 

The sunrise over Miami was stunning. 

In the end, the exit from the boat and transfer to the airport were terribly smooth. We got on the flight and flew, uneventfully to LAX. Zoe was an angel and all was well. 

We got off the flight and our bags were out almost as soon as we got to the belt. Lou has booked a hotel for the 8 hours we were in LA so we could take a shower and relax. Instead, we dropped our bags and headed to Santa Monica for Japanese and some shopping. It was fun! The food was amazing and we even got into the Christmas spirit a bit. 

Santa Monica Pier is in the background. I kind of forgot it was winter in LA. I’m the only person in shorts and a t-shirt. 

Some faux Rockettes dancing to Christmas carols. 

The Christmas tree in the center of the shopping center. 

The time in Santa Monica was a great way to end one trip and begin another. The next blog entry I will be in Australia. I’m amazed at the incredible holiday break I have had to this point. I’m so lucky to have a sister in law who is so generous and invited me to go along on this trip. I’m one luck lady. I can’t wait for the next part of this holiday. And I certainly can’t wait to see Stuart, Jack and Millie.