Well, gentle readers, I'm finally back. Mostly. It's really hard to get back into the swing of things after a great vacation.
And, let me put this in no uncertain terms, it was a GREAT vacation. Relaxing. Fun. Carefree. Child free.
GREAT.
Well, before I get started on my eagerly anticipated travelogue (Because nothing is more fun than looking at another person's vacation photos!), let me give a huge thank you to my wonderful dad and not-ever-even-slightly-wicked step-mother, Susie. Thank you thank you thank you! Not only did they watch the boys for us but they also did some wonderful guest-blogging. You can't ask for much more than that.
Well. Where to begin?
I know. How 'bout 3am Mother's Day morning? Because that's the time we had to get up in order to make it to our flight to Ft. Lauderdale. Fortunately, I rediscovered how wonderfully simple it is to travel without children. Getting up and ready? Easy. Getting through security? A breeze. Sleeping on the plane? A distinct possibility!
After a slight and uneventful layover in Baltimore (Whose airport looks a lot like Darth Vader. No, really.) we made it to balmy Ft. Lauderdale. After waiting 30 minutes for our luggage (thank you, AirTran), we hopped on the Princess Cruiseline shuttle and were on our way.
Let me take a second to note that Lance and I lowered the median age of passengers on that bus by Quite. A. Bit. This was generally true for most of the cruise. And you know what? We were cool with that.
Finally, we went through all the lines and junk, got our cruise cards, and were on the Emerald Princess.
It was huge. No, really. I mean, unless you've been on a cruise, I don't know that you can really appreciate the size of a ship. Big. And somehow, magically, even bigger on the inside. We were always getting lost. It's a miracle we found our stateroom in the first place.
About a week before we left I received an email from Princess letting me know that we had been upgraded from our teeny-tiny, uber-economical, no-window, middle of the ship stateroom to a really great balcony stateroom. Sweet! And while at first glace it still seemed a bit tight, it actually turned out to be just right. Here's the basic layout:
And, let me put this in no uncertain terms, it was a GREAT vacation. Relaxing. Fun. Carefree. Child free.
GREAT.
Well, before I get started on my eagerly anticipated travelogue (Because nothing is more fun than looking at another person's vacation photos!), let me give a huge thank you to my wonderful dad and not-ever-even-slightly-wicked step-mother, Susie. Thank you thank you thank you! Not only did they watch the boys for us but they also did some wonderful guest-blogging. You can't ask for much more than that.
Well. Where to begin?
I know. How 'bout 3am Mother's Day morning? Because that's the time we had to get up in order to make it to our flight to Ft. Lauderdale. Fortunately, I rediscovered how wonderfully simple it is to travel without children. Getting up and ready? Easy. Getting through security? A breeze. Sleeping on the plane? A distinct possibility!
After a slight and uneventful layover in Baltimore (Whose airport looks a lot like Darth Vader. No, really.) we made it to balmy Ft. Lauderdale. After waiting 30 minutes for our luggage (thank you, AirTran), we hopped on the Princess Cruiseline shuttle and were on our way.
Let me take a second to note that Lance and I lowered the median age of passengers on that bus by Quite. A. Bit. This was generally true for most of the cruise. And you know what? We were cool with that.
Finally, we went through all the lines and junk, got our cruise cards, and were on the Emerald Princess.
It was huge. No, really. I mean, unless you've been on a cruise, I don't know that you can really appreciate the size of a ship. Big. And somehow, magically, even bigger on the inside. We were always getting lost. It's a miracle we found our stateroom in the first place.
About a week before we left I received an email from Princess letting me know that we had been upgraded from our teeny-tiny, uber-economical, no-window, middle of the ship stateroom to a really great balcony stateroom. Sweet! And while at first glace it still seemed a bit tight, it actually turned out to be just right. Here's the basic layout:
And if you're really curious, here's a video. (Our room looked exactly like the video.)
We settled in to our room, unpacked, wandered around the ship several times, grabbed some lunch, and then basically passed out for a while. We're really exciting. But we had also been up since the dawn of time or so. Plus - and this is the most important part - we were ON VACATION. Napping any time we want? Totally acceptable.
Awesome.
We stirred just in time for the mandatory safety drill, which included going to our muster station, listening to the emergency instructions, and practicing putting on our life vests. Tre chic. I also had the theme to "Titanic" stuck in my head for the entire time, but I don't think that was as mandatory. (But I'm sure I wasn't the only one!)
Finally it was time for the launch party, which we enjoyed watching from the balcony. (We're not so much into the drinking that seems inherently involved with mass dancing on a cruise ship. But watching it? Sure thing!)
We took our first picture of the trip.
And enjoyed all the views Everglades Port of Ft. Lauderdale had to offer. Ahem. (Because nothin' says Caribbean Cruise like a view of the local oil refinery!)
We eventually got on our way and out to open sea. While cruise ships aren't speedy by any means, they do go faster than I thought. (These videos don't do it justice.)
We opted for traditional dining on this trip, which meant we had a set dining time each night, with the same table-mates and waiters each evening. We were, hands down, the youngest table in the dining room during our sitting. (And that was okay with us!) We were joined by a honeymooning couple, Dan and Maddy, from Ontario, Canada, and two cousins, Hillary and Sarah, also from Ontario. (I know, what are the chances?)
A few things:
- I love Canadians. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know much about Canada and really don't know many Canadians. But I loved these Canadians (or "Our Canadia Friends" as Lance and I referred to them).
- These Canadians really and truly did have accents. And we loved it. Every "Eh", every "oowwuut" sound, every 'keen'... loved it. Really and truly.
- The honeymooners? Very cute. And young - I'm guessing around 22ish. But also obnoxious - only because they got to go on a FOURTEEN day cruise. Holy shnikes. A cruise that long is slightly obscene. And heavenly. Totally jealous that they're still at sea and I'm here in rainy Indiana.
- The cousins were celebrating Hillary graduating from teaching college and Sarah having been accepted into teaching college. So I'm guessing they were around 21-23ish.
- We were the only ones in the group with kids, which was nice because it meant we didn't spend all our meals talking about kids. It took a little getting used to, but I finally remembered how to have a conversation that didn't mention poop, napping, getting spit up on, and potty training!
The dinners in the dining room were always very yummy and elegant, and the menu changed each night. You'd choose an appetizer, soup or salad, main dish, and dessert. It was so good! But the best part? I didn't have to do anything but show up; no prepping, cooking, or cleaning!
To be honest, I can't remember what we did that evening. Wait - I think we went to some 'introduction to your cruise' type of entertainment. And then we probably ate something from the buffet, because if you don't eat every two hours on a cruise you will die. (It's true. Ask anyone who's ever been on a cruise.) But other than that, I think we collapsed into bed rather early, because we don't drink, don't gamble, and we don't have the same luxury at home. Nice.
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